SwissGut - The Healthy Swiss Microbiome

Launched by BENJAMIN MISSELWITZ · Dec 20, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The SwissGut trial is a research study aimed at understanding how the gut microbiome, which is the community of bacteria in our intestines, interacts with our environment and health, particularly in relation to inflammatory diseases. This study specifically focuses on healthy individuals to provide a baseline for comparison with other studies involving people with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Researchers have several key questions they want to answer, such as whether people in different living conditions have different levels of gut inflammation and how the gut bacteria in healthy individuals differ from those with IBD.

To participate in this trial, you need to be between 18 and 90 years old, in good health, and free from any serious gastrointestinal diseases like IBD or colorectal cancer. You should also not have any recent gastrointestinal issues or have taken antibiotics in the last three months. If you join, you can expect to provide consent for the study, complete some assessments, and contribute to valuable research that could improve our understanding of gut health and diseases. This trial is currently recruiting participants, and your involvement could help shape future treatments and health recommendations.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Signed informed consent
• • Age 18-90 years
• • General ability to give consent for study inclusion, understand and follow study procedures
• • No current or past diagnosis of IBD or colorectal carcinoma
• • No current medical complaints typical for IBD or other severe intestinal diseases (e.g. Diarrhea, severe constipation, abdominal pain, blood in stool, weight loss). Minor symptoms, (not impairing daily activities) are permitted.
• • No other current relevant gastrointestinal disease or condition plausibly interfering with microbiota assessment according to the discretion of the study physician.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • All patients with recent acute gastrointestinal disease (e.g., confirmed infectious diarrhea) within the last month or relevant intestinal symptoms (impairing daily activities).
• • Use of antibiotics within the last 3 months.
• • Current pouch or ileostomy/ colostomy.
• • Severe medical, surgical, or psychiatric comorbidities interfering with study procedure according to the judgement of the investigator (patients with comorbidities that would not interfere with the primary endpoints I-III but don't allow the assessment of HRV according to the judgement of the investigator (e.g. heart diseases) will be included in the study but the HRV will not be assessed).
• • Participation in an interfering clinical study.