Curr Hematol Malig Rep. 2016 Feb;11(1):19-28. doi: 10.1007/s11899-016-0302-9.

Microbiota Manipulation With Prebiotics and Probiotics in Patients Undergoing Stem Cell Transplantation.

Andermann TM¹, Rezvani A², Bhatt AS^3,^4,⁵.

Author information

1: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
2: Department of Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
3: Department of Medicine, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. asbhatt@stanford.edu.
4: Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University, 269 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. asbhatt@stanford.edu.
5: Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. asbhatt@stanford.edu.

Abstract

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a potentially life-saving therapy that often comes at the cost of complications such as graft-versus-host disease and post-transplant infections. With improved technology to understand the ecosystem of microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and microeukaryotes) that make up the gut microbiota, there is increasing evidence of the microbiota's contribution to the development of post-transplant complications. Antibiotics have traditionally been the mainstay of microbiota-altering therapies available to physicians. Recently, interest is increasing in the use of prebiotics and probiotics to support the development and sustainability of a healthier microbiota. In this review, we will describe the evidence for the use of prebiotics and probiotics in combating microbiota dysbiosis and explore the ways in which they may be used in future research to potentially improve clinical outcomes and decrease rates of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and post-transplant infection.