Fig 1.

Schematic overview of the current vs. the proposed approach for selection of FMT stool. Figure illustrates that the current approach to donor stool selection for FMT perpetuates the unpredictability of patient clinical response in IBD, as well as the risk of exposure to infectious pathogens/pathobionts. By comparison, preclinical mouse models could help researchers determine the functional potential of a fecal sample prior to transplantation. By doing so, the likelihood of a beneficial clinical response to donor feces would improve, and, if used to test a patients’ own feces (for use as autologous FMT), potentially abolish current safety concerns of the procedure.