Breast milk stem cells integrate into cellular remodeling and functional differentiation in the ischemic brain.

Abstract

Breast milk serves as a critical source of nutrition for infants and significantly impacts their developmental trajectories and health outcomes throughout their lives. This study investigates the role of breast milk-derived stem cells (BMSCs) and their potential involvement in recovery following brain ischemia. Prior research has demonstrated that BMSCs can migrate into the digestive tract of nursing offspring and subsequently differentiate into various cell types, including neurons and astrocytes within the brain. Our study aims to elucidate whether these differentiated BMSCs contribute to cellular recovery in response to ischemic events in a mouse model. Utilizing a cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model, we found that maternal transfer of BMSCs through breastfeeding allows these cells to reach the central nervous system (CNS) of offspring and persist into adulthood. Notably, following ischemic injury, we observed enhanced recruitment and differentiation of these BMSCs into neuronal and glial lineages specifically in the peri-infarct region. This study represents the first evidence of a natural stem cell-mediated repair mechanism within the injured CNS facilitated by maternal breastfeeding, revealing significant implications for therapeutic strategies targeting maternal-neonatal interactions. Our findings suggest that BMSCs may play a protective role in the aftermath of cerebral ischemic injury. These findings reveal a natural, maternally derived stem cell-mediated repair mechanism in the injured CNS, highlighting BMSCs' dual role in development and pathology in adulthood.