FMT and immunotherapy in refractory HCC
This study investigates whether modulation of the gut microbiome using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) may improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who previously progressed on atezolizumab plus bevacizumab. In this single-center, open-label phase II pilot study, patients with advanced HCC received a single FMT from either a healthy donor or an anti-PD-1 responder donor followed by treatment with atezolizumab and bevacizumab every three weeks. Longitudinal stool and blood samples were collected to evaluate microbiome composition, host immune responses, and metabolic changes. Microbial community composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. This project aims to improve understanding of the relationship between gut microbiome composition and response to immunotherapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Sequencing was performed at the Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna under the project ID JMF-2401-16.