Fecal microbiota transplant in dermatology – A narrative review

The gut or the second brain as the scientists would like to call it nowadays, has been the focus of interest for the past few years for investigators where they are trying to find out how the gut microbiome influences other organs such as brain, skin, lungs, etc. Hence, the terms such as “gut-brain axis”, “gut- lung axis”, “gut- skin axis” has all gained significant attention in recent times. Gut microbial dysbiosis has been implicated in having a causal role in many inflammatory, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases, including dermatological disorders. Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) has been investigated in recent years for the treatment of many disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, obesity, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, multiple sclerosis, to reverse the effects of aging, lengthen lifespan, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, melanoma, acne and, dermatitis herpetiformis. Current evidence of efficacy and safety is limited to clinical trials with limited sample sizes, case reports, or animal studies. This narrative review summarizes FMT and its potential applications in dermatology.