2024-03-01 12:00:03
Breast milk has a weapon influencing the health of infants well beyond antibodies.
Science has shed light on a component of breast milk, called the complement system, which plays a crucial role in protecting babies against infections by shaping the bacterial composition of their gut. This discovery, from research conducted by the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, reveals novel mechanisms by which breast milk promotes infant health.
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Scientists observed in mouse pups that those fed mouse milk lacking a key complement protein had a different gut microbial population than those fed normal breast milk. This difference made the former particularly vulnerable to a specific pathogenic bacteria, Citrobacter rodentium, similar to strains of E. coli causing diarrhea in humans. The study showed that components of the complement system in breast milk could directly eliminate certain bacteria in the intestine, effectively protecting young mice from infection.
These results, published in the journal Cell, indicate that breast milk supplement proteins contribute significantly to the establishment of a protective intestinal microbiota during the early stages of development, promoting the health of the child and defending it against Pathogens. This protective activity is independent of antibodies, thus revealing a facet of the immunity conferred by breast milk.
Breastfeeding is known for its many benefits, providing optimal nutrition to infants and protecting them against certain infections through sharing of the mother’s antibodies and white blood cells. However, the precise role of complement proteins contained in breast milk has until now been less well understood. This study highlights their importance in modulating the intestinal microbiota of infants, thus providing increased protection against intestinal inflammation and infections.
These discoveries not only deepen our understanding of the protective mechanisms of breast milk but also open the way to new research, in particular on the specific biology of complement proteins in breast milk and their role beyond the specific immune system.
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