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Updated: Apr 22, 2026
Indirect Immunofluorescence on Frozen Sections of Mouse Mammary Gland
Published on: December 1, 2015
The mammary gland as an immunological organ
1Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Medical Microbiology Sweden; Department of Pediatrics, University of Göteborg, Göteborg, Sweden.
Abstract:
It has been known for decades that milk contains antibodies but because they were not resorbed by the breast-fed infant they were long regarded to be of no biological significance. However, with the discovery that the dominant milk immunoglobulin was secretory IgA - the first description of this class of antibody - came the realization that breast milk was potentially important for the infant's anti-microbial defense. In this review Lars Hanson discusses the protective capacity of milk and the role of milk IgA in the mucosal defense system.
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