Abstract
Human breastmilk contains stem cells that express pluripotency genes and differentiate in culture to cells from all three germ layers. The fate of these stem cells in the breastfed infant is unknown. We used a mouse model to test tissue distribution and latency of milk stem cells in the neonate. Wild‐type pups were cross‐fostered by mothers that ubiquitously express TdTomato (TdT). Live imaging of organs from TdT‐foster pups within the first 3 weeks after birth revealed the presence of milk‐derived TdT+ cells in the stomach and thymus but not in wild‐type controls nursed by their biological mothers. Confocal imaging of immuno‐stained organs of the TdT‐fostered pups revealed TdT+ cells in stomach and liver. TdT+ cells in the gastric lumen adhered to and penetrated the stomach wall. Some of these TdT+ cells expressed stem cell markers OCT4, NANOG and CD49f. Thymus harbored clones of TdT+ milk‐derived cells expressing the stem cell markers. In close proximity to the double positive population we observed TdT+ milk‐derived cells with low or no expression of the stem cell markers, suggesting differentiation and assimilation with host tissue and/or homing of other types of TdT+ milk cells in these organs. The above now demonstrate that as in humans, mouse milk contains cells that express stem cell markers. These studies in mice provide the first evidence of migration and integration of breastmilk stem cells to organs of the neonate.
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