ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT03269617Updated Apr 4, 2019

PHAGE Study: Bacteriophages as Novel Prebiotics

An interventional study of Bacteriophage mixture and Placebo Control in Gastrointestinal Disorder, Functional, sponsored by Colorado State University. Completed. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-04-04.

Sponsored by Colorado State University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 10 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Oct 2016, registered Aug 2017).

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Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
43
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The PHAGE study is designed to determine if a commercial prebiotic product can change the composition of bacteria in the gut for improved intestinal health. A prebiotic is defined as an indigestible dietary component that selectively enhances specific bacterial species in the intestines to confer a health benefit. In this study, the prebiotic a unique combination of bacteriophages, or viruses that infect bacteria. These phages are generally regarded as safe for human consumption and work by infecting bad bacteria in the gut, which allows beneficial bacteria populations to increase. The product, PreforPro, has shown to be effective in culture-based and animal studies, but its efficacy has not been demonstrated in humans. The goal of this study is to see if PreforPro consumption improves gut bacteria profiles in individuals relative to a placebo control and is associated with reduced incidence and severity of gastrointestinal distress.

Read the detailed description

The goal of this study is to see if consumption of PreforPro, a commercially available prebiotic dietary supplement consisting of a mixture of bacteriophages, improves gut bacteria profiles in individuals relative to a placebo control. Secondary outcome measures include determining changes in comprehensive metabolic profiles, inflammatory markers (systemic and local), microbial metabolites, and perceptions of gastrointestinal distress. To accomplish these research goals, 40 male and female volunteers between 18-65 years old with BMI scores of 20 to 34.9 who suffer from mild gastrointestinal distress will be enrolled.Recruitment will be by referral from local practitioners and through email solicitations. Eligibility will be determined at the Colorado State University Medical Nutrition Therapy Laboratory (MNTL) by a screening questionnaire and interview/assessment by the clinical coordinator. After determining eligibility and securing consent, participants will randomly be assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups: prebiotic or placebo. Participants will consume one capsule daily of respective treatments for a period of four (4) weeks. At the beginning and end of the 4 week treatment periods blood and stool samples will be collected at the Human Performance Clinical Research Laboratory (HPCRL). This means that participants will make a total of four (4) clinic visits during each treatment period. Following the initial treatment period, all participants will be required to undergo a wash-out period for two (2) weeks. Upon completion of the wash-out period, participants will switch treatment groups for a period of four (4) weeks. Clinic visits at baseline and 4-weeks for collection of stool and blood samples will also be conducted during the second treatment period. Study participants will be required to provide a total of four (4) fecal samples and four (4) fasting blood samples. Additionally, study participants will be required to provide a weekly assessment of GI symptoms during the two treatment periods. All blood samples will be collected at Colorado State University by trained professionals. Fecal sample collection will be performed by the study participant with collection materials provided by study personnel. Both participants and researchers will be blinded during the course of the intervention and throughout the data analysis period. Blinding will be conducted by individuals from Deerland Enzymes, the company that is providing the capsules for intervention.

02

Conditions studied

  • Gastrointestinal Disorder, Functional

Keywords

  • dysbiosis
  • gut microbiota
  • bacteriophage
  • irritable bowel syndrome
  • gastrointestinal distress
  • prebiotic
03

In context

Gastrointestinal Diseases

549 studies on the registry are indexed under Gastrointestinal Diseases; 102 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 43 is below the median of 80 across 388 interventional studies indexed under Gastrointestinal Diseases.

Browse Gastrointestinal Diseases studies →

Lead sponsor

Colorado State University is the lead sponsor of 118 studies on the registry; 20 are open to participants now.

Of its 5 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 3 (60%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthy adults
  • 18-65 years old
  • Mild to moderate GI distress (self-assessed)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Diagnosed GI disease (Celiac, peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, cancer, or other gastrointestinal or metabolic diseases)
  • Antibiotic use in the past 2 months
  • Use of NSAIDS, statins, metformin, and other drugs known to modify the gut microbiota
  • less than 18.0 or greater than 35.0
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
43 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo Comparator

    Placebo control: 1 capsule containing rice maltodextrin consumed 1x daily for 28 days.

    Other: Placebo Control

  • Experimental
    Experimental

    Bacteriophage mixture: 1 capsule containing rice maltodextrin and a mixture of 4 bacteriophages consumed 1x daily for 28 days.

    Dietary Supplement: Bacteriophage mixture

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementBacteriophage mixture

    Four bacteriophage strains: LH01-Myoviridae, LL5-Siphoviridae, T4D-Myoviridae, and LL12-Myoviridae.

    Also known as: PreforPro

  • OtherPlacebo Control

    Placebo control capsule consisting of rice maltodextrin

    Also known as: rice maltodextrin

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Microbiota modulation

    Use of 16s rRNA sequencing of stool samples to determine whether the administered interventions resulted in changes to microbial composition.

    Time frame: Baseline visit prior to starting treatments,4 weeks after starting treatment 1, end of 2-week washout period, 4-weeks after starting treatment 2

Secondary outcomes

  1. Local inflammation

    Inflammation in the bowels will be assessed by use of ELISA test for fecal calprotectin.

    Time frame: Baseline visit prior to starting treatments,4 weeks after starting treatment 1, end of 2-week washout period, 4-weeks after starting treatment 2

  2. Systemic Inflammation

    Systemic inflammation will be assessed by an ELISA test for CRP and circulating cytokines and immune factors.

    Time frame: Baseline visit prior to starting treatments,4 weeks after starting treatment 1, end of 2-week washout period, 4-weeks after starting treatment 2

Other outcomes

  1. Microbial metabolism

    Fermentation by microbes in the gut will be assessed by measuring fecal short chain fatty acid concentrations.

    Time frame: Baseline visit prior to starting treatments,4 weeks after starting treatment 1, end of 2-week washout period, 4-weeks after starting treatment 2

  2. Circulating lipids

    Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides will be determined in venous blood using a clinical analyzer (Piccolo Xpress).

    Time frame: Baseline visit prior to starting treatments,4 weeks after starting treatment 1, end of 2-week washout period, 4-weeks after starting treatment 2

  3. Comprehensive metabolic panel

    Basic metabolic parameters such as fasting glucose, and levels of BUN, creatinine, and liver enzymes will be determined from a single 200 ul aliquot of venous blood using a CMP clinical analysis panel for Piccolo Xpress.

    Time frame: Baseline visit prior to starting treatments,4 weeks after starting treatment 1, end of 2-week washout period, 4-weeks after starting treatment 2

  4. GI symptom self-assessment

    Participants will complete a validated questionnaire to track changes in GI symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline visit prior to starting treatments,4 weeks after starting treatment 1, end of 2-week washout period, 4-weeks after starting treatment 2

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

References and documents

Publications

  • Febvre HP, Rao S, Gindin M, Goodwin NDM, Finer E, Vivanco JS, Lu S, Manter DK, Wallace TC, Weir TL. PHAGE Study: Effects of Supplemental Bacteriophage Intake on Inflammation and Gut Microbiota in Healthy Adults. Nutrients. 2019 Mar 20;11(3):666. doi: 10.3390/nu11030666. PubMed 30897686 ↗
  • Gindin M, Febvre HP, Rao S, Wallace TC, Weir TL. Bacteriophage for Gastrointestinal Health (PHAGE) Study: Evaluating the Safety and Tolerability of Supplemental Bacteriophage Consumption. J Am Coll Nutr. 2019 Jan;38(1):68-75. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2018.1483783. Epub 2018 Aug 29. PubMed 30157383 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Oct 2016 to primary completion in May 2017, 7 months.

Of 127 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Gastrointestinal Diseases, half reached primary completion within 26 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 46. This study's 7 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 149 studies reached it within 24 months; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 45.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Aug 1, 2017
First posted
Sep 1, 2017
StartActual
Oct 1, 2016
Primary completionActual
May 30, 2017
CompletionActual
May 30, 2017
Last update
Apr 4, 2019
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 4, 2019, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03269617
Collaborators
George Mason University, Metabiomics Corp
Responsible party
Tiffany Weir (Associate Professor, Colorado State University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 1, 2017
Start date
Oct 1, 2016
Primary completion
May 30, 2017
Completion
May 30, 2017
Last update
Apr 4, 2019

Study contacts

Tiffany Weir, PhD
principal investigator · Colorado State University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2019. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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