Abstract
Breastfeeding reduces infant morbidity and mortality caused by many diseases. The impact of breastfeeding may due in large measure to the human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). Many HMOs are analogs to histo-blood group antigens on the mucosal surface that some pathogens use for binding and infection and can thus serve as pathogen-binding inhibitors. HMOs also shift microbial community composition and function and influence host immune response. Due to breakthroughs in biosynthesis, testing HMOs as therapeutic agents is now imaginable. Synthesized, bioidentical HMOs could be developed and tested for prevention or treatment of many conditions, for which oral intake is ensured, particularly those that involve GI infection or microbial dysbiosis and inflammation and, in some way, GI glycosylation (fucosylation or sialylation). Patient populations that should have high priority for testing HMOs include preterm infants and inflammatory bowel disease patients, as well as individuals with intestinal failure and immunocompromised patients.
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