Sarah,
According to the various patents and articles I have read, human milk
contains totipotent stem cells.  Totipotent "is a cell capable of differnetiating
into a large variety of cells." Scientists have proven that totipotent stem cells
exist throught the mammary parenchyma tree and are not localized to just the
terminal portions of the mammary tree."
http://mammary.nih.gov/reviews/develoopment/medina001

There are a number of patents on it and there are even conferences devoted to
this area of stem cell research.  Mothers have already donated their milk for
this research.  It is quite obvious to me that medical institutions and
industries have ease of access to any amounts of human milk they want--often given
freely by mothers for research, etc.  I don't see the need for a call to get
women to donate their pumped milk--they have already been doing it for years.
Of course the question might be, why should women donate these stem cells in
order that these companies can make their millions?  Meanwhile, most women are
kept ignorant of the value of their own milk.

I agree with you that mothers should know that stem cells are harvested from
human milk and can be used for treatments of diabetes, alzheimers, etc...
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

PS  Dolly the infamous sheep, was cloned from the DNA of a mammary cell
(sheep)which was placed into an egg cell of another sheep.  Hence, the name--Dolly,
in honor of Dolly Parton.

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