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Microorganisms
Volume 13
Issue 6
10.3390/microorganisms13061290
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Review

The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review

by
Ignazio Maniscalco
1,†,
Piotr Bartochowski
2,†,
Vittoria Priori
1,
Sidonia Paula Iancau
3,4,
Michele De Francesco
1,
Marco Innamorati
5,
Natalia Jagodzinska
6,
Giancarlo Giupponi
1,
Luca Masucci
7,
Andreas Conca
1 and
Magdalena Mroczek
8,*
1
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of Paracelsus Medical, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
2
BC2M, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
3
Residence School in Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
4
4. Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo Forlanini, Cir.ne Gianicolense 87, 00152 Roma, Italy
5
Department of Health and Life Sciences, European University of Rome, 00163 Roma, Italy
6
School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
7
Microbiology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Medicine, 00168 Roma, Italy
8
Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Microorganisms 2025, 13(6), 1290; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13061290
Submission received: 18 April 2025 / Revised: 23 May 2025 / Accepted: 29 May 2025 / Published: 31 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Gut Microbiota on Human Health and Disease, 2nd Edition)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

The bilateral interaction between the brain and the gut has recently been on the spectrum of researchers’ interests, including complex neural, endocrinological, and immunological signaling pathways. The first case reports and clinical studies have already reported that delivering microbes through fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) may alleviate symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Therefore, modifying the gut microbiota through FMT holds promise as a potential treatment for psychiatric diseases. This scoping review assessed studies from PubMed related to FMT in autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The evaluation included nine clinical studies and case reports. The beneficial and persistent effect on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms has been reported. Also, an increased microflora diversity and altered levels of neurometabolites in serum were identified, albeit with a tendency to return to baseline over time. The microbiome–gut–brain axis could provide new targets for preventing and treating psychiatric disorders. However, a recent large randomized clinical trial has shed light on the previously collected data and suggested a possible contribution of the placebo effect. This highlights the necessity of large randomized double-blind studies to reliably assess the effect of FMT in ASD.
Keywords: microbiota; FMT; fecal microbial transplantation; ASD; autism spectrum disorders microbiota; FMT; fecal microbial transplantation; ASD; autism spectrum disorders

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Maniscalco, I.; Bartochowski, P.; Priori, V.; Iancau, S.P.; De Francesco, M.; Innamorati, M.; Jagodzinska, N.; Giupponi, G.; Masucci, L.; Conca, A.; et al. The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review. Microorganisms 2025, 13, 1290. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13061290

AMA Style

Maniscalco I, Bartochowski P, Priori V, Iancau SP, De Francesco M, Innamorati M, Jagodzinska N, Giupponi G, Masucci L, Conca A, et al. The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review. Microorganisms. 2025; 13(6):1290. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13061290

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maniscalco, Ignazio, Piotr Bartochowski, Vittoria Priori, Sidonia Paula Iancau, Michele De Francesco, Marco Innamorati, Natalia Jagodzinska, Giancarlo Giupponi, Luca Masucci, Andreas Conca, and et al. 2025. "The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review" Microorganisms 13, no. 6: 1290. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13061290

APA Style

Maniscalco, I., Bartochowski, P., Priori, V., Iancau, S. P., De Francesco, M., Innamorati, M., Jagodzinska, N., Giupponi, G., Masucci, L., Conca, A., & Mroczek, M. (2025). The Effects of Fecal Microbial Transplantation on the Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gut Microbiota and Metabolites: A Scoping Review. Microorganisms, 13(6), 1290. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13061290

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