Human Milk Extracellular Vesicles: A Biological System with Clinical Implications. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Human Milk Extracellular Vesicles: A Biological System with Clinical Implications.
Cells. 2022 Jul 30 ;11(15). Epub 2022 Jul 30. PMID: 35954189
Somchai Chutipongtanate
The consumption of human milk by a breastfeeding infant is associated with positive health outcomes, including lower risk of diarrheal disease, respiratory disease, otitis media, and in later life, less risk of chronic disease. These benefits may be mediated by antibodies, glycoproteins, glycolipids, oligosaccharides, and leukocytes. More recently, human milk extracellular vesicles (hMEVs) have been identified. HMEVs contain functional cargos, i.e., miRNAs and proteins, that may transmit information from the mother to promote infant growth and development. Maternal health conditions can influence hMEV composition. This review summarizes hMEV biogenesis and functional contents, reviews the functional evidence of hMEVs in the maternal-infant health relationship, and discusses challenges and opportunities in hMEV research.