Scientists from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Michigan (U of M) found that potato starch supplements may reduce the risk of graft-versus-host disease in people receiving bone marrow transplants. The research was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Graft-versus-host disease is a major complication of bone marrow transplantation that occurs in almost half of patients and can be fatal. Previous studies have shown that changes in the normal gut microbiome and gut bacterial products (e.g., butyrate) contribute to worsening graft-versus-host disease.
In a new study, 10 bone marrow transplant patients at the University of Michigan took a nutritional supplement made from potato starch for more than 100 days. They had significantly increased levels of butyrate in their stool, which may indicate improved gut bacterial health.
Only one in 10 patients developed graft-versus-host disease, whereas typically about half of bone marrow transplant patients develop the disease. Taking the dietary supplement did not cause any negative side effects. Scientists believe that the supplement they developed could be an additional treatment for bone marrow transplant patients after further testing for effectiveness and safety.
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