If anyone wants to read the original reference for this it is:
Cregan, M et al, 2007, Identification of nestin-positive putative mammary
stem cells in human breastmilk, Cell and Tissue Research, July
329:(1)129-136. Having just spent more than five days at the ISRHML
Conference here in Perth I have done my time (for a long time :-)) trying to
wade through scientific jargon.... several times feeling way out of my depth
but also excited that so much research is happening within so many
disciplines and in so many directions.
Shaughn
Perth, Western Australia
-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Morgan Gallagher
Sent: Thursday, 14 February 2008 12:11 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Breast Milk Contains Stem Cells
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20081102-16879.html
The Perth scientist who made the world-first discovery that human breast
milk contains stem cells is confident that within five years scientists
will be harvesting them to research treatment for conditions as
far-reaching as spinal injuries, diabetes and Parkinson's disease.
But what Dr Mark Cregan is excited about right now is the promise that
his discovery could be the start of many more exciting revelations about
the potency of breast milk.
He believes that it not only meets all the nutritional needs of a
growing infant but contains key markers that guide his or her
development into adulthood.
"We already know how breast milk provides for the baby's nutritional
needs, but we are only just beginning to understand that it probably
performs many other functions," says Dr Cregan, a molecular biologist at
The University of Western Australia.
He says that, in essence, a new mother's mammary glands take over from
the placenta to provide the development guidance to ensure a baby's
genetic destiny is fulfilled.
"It is setting the baby up for the perfect development," he says. "We
already know that babies who are breast fed have an IQ advantage and
that there's a raft of other health benefits. Researchers also believe
that the protective effects of being breast fed continue well into adult
life.
"The point is that many mothers see milks as identical - formula milk
and breast milk look the same so they must be the same. But we know now
that they are quite different and a lot of the effects of breast milk
versus formula don't become apparent for decades. Formula companies have
focussed on matching breast milk's nutritional qualities but formula can
never provide the developmental guidance."
It was Dr Cregan's interest in infant health that led him to investigate
the complex cellular components of human milk. "I was looking at this
vast complexity of cells and I thought, 'No one knows anything about
them'."
His hunch was that if breast milk contains all these cells, surely it
has their precursors, too?
His team cultured cells from human breast milk and found a population
that tested positive for the stem cell marker, nestin. Further analysis
showed that a side population of the stem cells were of multiple
lineages with the potential to differentiate into multiple cell types.
This means the cells could potentially be "reprogrammed" to form many
types of human tissue.
He presented his research at the end of January to 200 of the world's
leading experts in the field at the International Conference of the
Society for Research on Human Milk and Lactation in Perth.
"We have shown these cells have all the physical characteristics of stem
cells. What we will do next is to see if they behave like stem cells,"
he says.
If so, they promise to provide researchers with an entirely ethical
means of harvesting stem cells for research without the debate that has
dogged the harvesting of cells from embryos.
Further research on immune cells, which have also been found in breast
milk and have already been shown to survive the baby's digestive
process, could provide a pathway to developing targets to beat certain
viruses or bacteria.
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set
lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
|
