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Published on: November 27, 2017
Amniotic fluid and breast milk: a rationale for breast milk stem cell therapy in neonatal diseases
Rachel Filler1, Bo Li1, Sinobol Chusilp1
1Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 1526-555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Insights
Breast milk stem cells offer promising therapeutic potential for neonatal diseases, exhibiting self-replication, differentiation, and anti-inflammatory properties. Their accessibility and use in disease modeling further support their clinical application.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal medicine
- Stem cell biology
- Regenerative medicine
Background:
- Amniotic fluid and breast milk are crucial for fetal and infant development.
- Stem cells from these fluids are studied for therapeutic applications in neonatal diseases.
- Breast milk stem cells (BMSCs) are less explored than amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the functions of amniotic fluid, breast milk, and their respective stem cells.
- To provide a rationale for utilizing BMSCs in treating neonatal diseases.
Main Methods:
- Literature review comparing AFSCs and BMSCs.
- Analysis of stem cell properties: self-replication, differentiation, tissue repair, and marker expression.
- Evaluation of therapeutic potential in neonatal conditions.
Main Results:
- Both AFSCs and BMSCs possess self-replication and differentiation capabilities.
- BMSCs demonstrate significant anti-inflammatory and tissue-damaging reduction properties.
- BMSCs offer advantages in accessibility and disease modeling for neonatal research.
Conclusions:
- BMSCs are a viable and promising therapeutic tool for neonatal diseases.
- Further research into BMSCs can advance regenerative medicine for infants.
- The unique properties of BMSCs warrant their consideration in clinical settings.
Abstract:
Amniotic fluid and breast milk play important roles in structural development throughout fetal growth and infancy. Given their significance in physical maturation, many studies have investigated the therapeutic and protective roles of amniotic fluid and breast milk in neonatal diseases. Of particular interest to researchers are stem cells found in the two fluids. These stem cells have been investigated due to their ability to self-replicate, differentiate, reduce tissue damage, and their expression of pluripotent markers. While amniotic fluid stem cells have received some attention regarding their ability to treat neonatal diseases, breast milk stem cells have not been investigated to the same extent given the recency of their discovery. The purpose of this review is to compare the functions of amniotic fluid, breast milk, and their stem cells to provide a rationale for the use of breast milk stem cells as a therapy for neonatal diseases. Breast milk stem cells present as an important tool for treating neonatal diseases given their ability to reduce inflammation and tissue damage, as well as their multilineage differentiation potential, easy accessibility, and ability to be used in disease modelling.
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