This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in treating uncomplicated diverticulitis. FMT will be delivered via colonoscopy using donor stool. Upon enrollment, patients or intended recipients will be asked to identify a potential donor. Donors will undergo a series of serologic, stool and COVID-19 testing to ensure that they meet inclusion and exclusion criteria prior to stool donation.~Recipients will undergo FMT via Colonoscopy at UMASS Memorial Medical Center and will be monitored for one hour after the procedure to ensure they are not experiencing any adverse events. They will receive a phone call 24 hours and 2 weeks after their procedure to ensure that they are at their baseline health. Recipients follow-up visits will occur at one month, 3 month, 6 months and 1 year post FMT.~Baseline stool samples will be collected from both donors and recipients for baseline metagenomic sequencing. Recipient stool samples will be obtained weekly for the first month, then at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. Microbiome analyses will also performed on recipient all stool samples post FMT to assess for successful engraftment of donor's microbiota onto the recipient's.
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) is an established treatment for Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection refractory to medical management. As C. diff infection usually arises due to significant disturbances in the gut microbiome, FMT is typically performed to restore a healthy microbiome among affected patients who have failed other treatments. Diverticulitis is a major, and often recurrent, source of morbidity in the U.S for which antibiotics and surgical resection constitute the only treatment options to date. Although alterations of the intestinal microbiome have also been shown among patients with diverticular disease, research on FMT in diverticulitis is sparse. The intended goal of this project is to determine the feasibility, effectiveness and safety of FMT in the treatment of uncomplicated diverticulitis, using clinical outcomes and microbiome analyses.