Fecal microbiota transplantation from psychiatric patients to mice - systematic review of methodologies and a call for standardization

Feb 11, 2026Translational psychiatry

Methods used to transfer gut bacteria from psychiatric patients to mice: a review and need for standard rules

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Abstract

A review of 31 studies on fecal microbiota transplantation revealed significant methodological inconsistencies.

  • No two studies followed the same fecal microbiota transplantation protocol.
  • Heterogeneity was noted in rodent model selection, including variations such as germ-free and antibiotic-pretreated models.
  • Differences were observed in antibiotic regimens, timing for microbiota depletion verification, and donor strategies.
  • Variability existed in dosage, frequency of transplantation, engraftment assessment, and behavioral testing schedules.
  • Standardized methodologies are necessary to improve reproducibility in microbiome research.

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