The Fecal Microbiome Transplant (FMT) Study for Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a severe, debilitating and potentially life threatening illness that is difficult to treat. A cardinal symptom of AN is the mistaken belief on the part of the individuals that they are overweight and must continue to restrict intake. This fixed false belief is a detrimental factor to recovery. It is known that AN involves disturbance in the gut microbiome (GM; the microbes that live in the lower intestinal tract). The GM also affects how one thinks and makes food choices - there appears to be a direct link between the GM and how the brain functions. This connection is thought to occur through chemical processes that convey information from the gut to the brain. It is known that fecal microbiome transplant (FMT) has been useful in treating several illnesses, including several mental illnesses. The investigators intend to deliver FMT to individuals with AN to determine the extent to which this modifies their GM, their biochemistry, their thinking processes and their moods and emotions. The investigators believe this will illuminate important aspects of AN that keep the illness in place, and that this will uncover useful approaches to better treat it.

NCT Number	NCT07143981
Lead Sponsor	London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's Collaborators: Western University, Canada
Conditions	Anorexia Nervosa
Enrollment	20 participants
Start Date	2026-01-15
Primary Completion	2026-12-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-08-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-01-23