Bio-therapeutics from human milk: prospects and perspectives.

Area of Science:

• Human milk composition and bio-therapeutics.
• Infant nutrition and immunology.
• Microbiome research.

Background:

• Human milk is crucial for neonate growth, offering nutrients and beneficial microbiota.
• Research into milk components for prophylactic and therapeutic uses is ongoing.
• A holistic view integrating milk microbiome and component analysis is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current research on bio-therapeutic milk components.
• To outline simplified future directions for human milk's efficient usage.
• To elucidate the functional roles of milk oligosaccharides and microbiome.

Main Methods:

• Searched PubMed and Google Scholar for "probiotics," "prebiotics," "human milk," "microbiome," and "milk oligosaccharides."
• Manually curated literature based on inclusion/exclusion criteria for human milk and clinical efficacy.
• Classified and discussed literature subgroups for detailed understanding.

Main Results:

• Human milk protects infants via passive immunization, immune regulators, cytokines, and bioactive peptides.
• Human milk contains a complex microbiota, seeding the infant gut microbiome.
• Human milk oligosaccharides act as prebiotics, promoting beneficial probiotic growth.

Conclusions:

• Human milk strengthens the infant immune system through immune cells and stimulatory factors.
• Understanding the complexity and diversity of human milk components is vital.
• The interplay between human milk oligosaccharides and the microbiome is crucial for infant health.