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Breast Milk Stem Cells and Maternal Microchimerism: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications | ||
| World Journal of Peri & Neonatology | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 01 July 2026 | ||
| Document Type: Scientific Review | ||
| Author | ||
| Sadegh Safaei* 1, 2 | ||
| 1Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran | ||
| 2Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Human breast milk is recognized as a living, cell-rich fluid that provides viable mother cells along with supplementary nutrients and soluble immunomodulators. It contains heterogeneous populations of mesenchymal, hematopoietic, epithelial and pluripotent like stem/progenitor cells that can differentiate into derivatives of all three germ layers in vitro. Preclinical studies have shown that milk-derived cells can survive gastrointestinal passage, enter the neonatal circulation, and reside in multiple organs, such as the brain, liver, and immune tissues. These cells express organ-specific markers and contribute to maternal microchimerism. Studies on the neonatal gut and blood-brain barrier shows that a narrow early-life window exists in which breast milk stem cells can access systemic and, in experimental models, central nervous system compartments. This window is established by immature intestinal barrier properties, age-dependent differences in neurovascular interfaces, and homing cues induced by injury or inflammation. The potential for these cells to contribute to organ maturation and tissue repair is suggested. Maternal cells transfer during lactation have been associated to the expansion of regulatory T cells, tolerance to non-inherited maternal antigens, stronger vaccine-induced T-cell responses, and, in certain circumstances, improved infection control. These results collectively support the idea that maternal cellular transfer contributes to the development of infant immunity during the early stages of life. This review provides a concise summary of the phenotype and origin of breast milk stem cells, their trafficking and contribution to maternal microchimerism, and neonatal immune development, and the clinical implications for the health of infant and mother. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Breast feeding; Stem Cells; Immunity; Neonatal; Maternal Health | ||
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