From the Vault: Fecal transplant may revive immunotherapy responses in melanoma
We pulled this February 2024 vault article because it’s been a popular read. It’s a focused review of microbiota‑modulating interventions in metastatic melanoma which found that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) produced objective responses in a meaningful fraction of patients (about 37.5% of those previously refractory to immune checkpoint inhibitors and roughly 65% of immunotherapy‑naive patients) across the small studies identified.
FMT also showed promise for treating ICI‑associated colitis and no severe FMT‑related adverse events were reported in these reports. While mechanistically plausible and clinically intriguing, the evidence is limited to small cohorts and case series, so donor selection, timing, and long‑term safety remain unresolved.
For dermatologists counseling patients with melanoma receiving ICI, this review highlights an emerging adjunctive strategy worth watching and discussing with oncology colleagues.
Read the full vault article for study details and to learn how ongoing trials may shape future practice.
J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(2):78-84. doi:10.36849/JDD.7674
Blog write-up assisted by AI
