Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Michigan have identified a potential new ally in the fight against graft-versus-host disease, a serious complication that can follow bone marrow transplants. Their findings indicate that potato starch-derived supplements may lower the risk of this condition. The study appears in Nature Medicine, signaling a significant step in transplant care and gut health management.
Graft-versus-host disease affects roughly half of patients who undergo bone marrow transplantation and can be life-threatening. Earlier work has shown that disruptions to the gut microbiome and the molecular products produced by gut bacteria, such as butyrate, play a role in worsening the condition. Maintaining a healthy gut environment is therefore a key area of focus for reducing complications after transplantation.
In the Michigan portion of the study, ten bone marrow transplant recipients received a nutritional supplement crafted from potato starch for more than three months. The researchers observed a notable rise in butyrate levels in the patients’ stools, a potential sign of improved gut bacterial function and gut health overall.
Early results are promising: only one in ten patients developed graft-versus-host disease, compared with the typical rate of about 50 percent in similar transplant cohorts. Importantly, the supplement did not trigger any adverse effects in the participants. Scientists see these preliminary outcomes as encouraging evidence that the potato starch product could become an additional therapeutic option for transplant patients, pending further studies to confirm effectiveness and to ensure safety in larger, more diverse populations.
Historically, the oral microbiome has been linked to various systemic health outcomes, including heart health. In unrelated observations, certain bacteria in the mouth have been associated with periodontitis and cardiovascular events. While these findings differ in scope from the potato starch study, they underscore the broader connection between microbial communities, health, and treatment strategies that extend across medicine in North America and beyond.