The growing popularity of fecal transplants is leading to the creation of banks and appeals for donations. There are already cases of banks in the USA paying 1500 euros per month to donors.
Researchers are encouraging the public to consider an unusual but increasingly valuable way to donate for medical purposes: your feces. With growing scientific interest in the human microbiome, stool banks are emerging around the world to provide material for fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and research, which has led to calls for more eligible donors.
In a recent public appeal, Associate Professor Nadeem O. Kaakoush of the University of New South Wales in Sydney emphasized the growing medical importance of high-quality stool samples. “Think of donating feces as donate a different type of ‘organ’your gut microbiome”, he explained. The microbiome, a community of microbes that inhabit the digestive system, plays a fundamental role in immunity, metabolism and general health.
FMT, which refers to the process of transferring processed feces from a healthy donor into a patient’s intestine, has gained popularity in recent years. Treatment is already well established for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI), a dangerous condition that causes severe diarrhea and can be fatal. Evidence further suggests that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can help treat a wide range of conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, obesity, alcohol use disorder, inflammatory bowel disease, melanoma and recurrent urinary tract infections.
However, both clinical trials and approved medical treatments depend on material from reliable donors. Not all stool samples meet the rigorous standards required, and donors must undergo extensive screening to ensure safety. Individuals are tested for blood-borne viruses such as HIV and hepatitis, as well as for parasites, pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic-resistant organisms. Donors are also expected to provide samples consistently, which creates further limitations on who qualifies, explains .
Demand is growing rapidly and this increase in medical use has led to appearance of stool banks and donation centers. Institutions such as OpenBiome, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s pediatric stool program, and GoodNature now collect and distribute donor material, with some offering up to 1500 dollars per month to qualified donors.
Kaakoush emphasizes that donating fecal samples can save lives. “He can be saving someone’s life or, at least, significantly improving their quality of life,” he said. Although scientists hope to recreate the microbiome synthetically, the scientist notes that “we are far away” from that goal, making human donations essential for now.
