22 Jan 2019

Poo transplants could help treatments for Alzheimer's

From Morning Report, 8:49 am on 22 January 2019

In recent years fecal transplants have become the unlikely hero for people suffering from nasty recurrent diarrheal infections. Now, new research from the Liggins Institute in Auckland has found that some people are better donors than others. Researchers say once more is understood about what makes someone a super donor or "super pooper", it could unlock transplant treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's, asthma, heart disease and even cancer. One of the researchers is associate professor Justin O'Sullivan. He talks to Guyon Espiner.