MTT–Syndrome and Gastrointestinal Disorders Clinical Trial

James B. Adams, Ph.D. – Arizona State University

2019-2021

$150,000

Human gut microbiota plays many roles in the body, including digestion of food, production of several vitamins, motility regulation, water regulation, and protection against pathogenic bacteria.

 Many individuals with PTHS struggle with chronic gastrointestinal dysfunction, suggesting TCF4 may play a role in development of the GI tract or enteric nervous system.  Individuals with PTHS invariably have global developmental delay and many also meet criteria for Autistic Spectrum Disorder.   Microbiota Transfer Therapy (MMT) has not previously been used for people with PTHS.  However, many children with PTHS are also diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and MTT has previously been used by our group for treating children with ASD.   Thus this PTHS population with associated gut dysfunction is a reasonable “next step” in studying efficacy of Microbiota Transfer Therapy (MMT).

The primary goal of this study is to reduce GI symptoms in patients who have both PTHS and chronic gastrointestinal problems (constipation and/or diarrhea). A secondary goal is to forward the field of PTHS research by characterizing the study subjects in a standardized manner and evaluating for genotype-phenotype correlations.