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“Listening in” ‐ The cross‐talk between mother and infant through exosomal microRNAs in breast milk
Author(s) -
Kraft Jamie Dale,
Altosaar Illimar
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.757.5
Subject(s) - breast milk , breastfeeding , necrotizing enterocolitis , breast feeding , medicine , microvesicles , immune system , microrna , sepsis , immunology , physiology , biology , pediatrics , biochemistry , gene
Breast milk is an intricate source of key nutritional complexes required to nourish an infant as well as facilitate the development of the infant's immune system. During the postnatal period, the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) matures following enteral feeds and colonization with commensal bacteria. The development of the GIT could be delayed or altered in a premature infant, thus predisposing the infant to inflammatory diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). NEC is the leading cause of death among premature infants. The pathophysiology is currently unknown, however, prematurity, formula feeding and an abnormal intestinal microbiota are thought to cause an inflammatory response in the intestine which can lead to NEC and sepsis. Breast milk is the gold standard of infant nutrition and is largely thought to help prevent NEC. The components of breast milk responsible for the development of the GIT have yet to be identified, although, novel research has discovered the presence of microRNA (miRNA) in breast milk exosomes. Due to stable structure, exosomes are protected against degradation, suggesting breast milk exosomal miRNAs continue to be biologically active following ingestion by the infant. miRNAs have previously been described as functioning in cellular communication, implying a method of “listening in” to the cross‐talk between mother and infant via breastfeeding. To characterize miRNAs and identify the role they play in the development of the GIT, exosomes from breast milk must be isolated in a reproducible method to extract miRNAs. Isolating and storing procedures of unprocessed breast milk are underexposed. In recent studies, it has been revealed that storing unprocessed breast milk at −80°C or −4°C lead to cell death within the milk, causing contamination of the native breast milk exosomes. The profiling of miRNA fluctuates depending on the milk fraction analyzed, preparation of milk and exosome fraction as well as the miRNA extraction protocol. Extra care should be taken when preparing samples and following extraction procedures in this area of research. During this early stage of exploring the ways in which the mother communicates with her newborn, it is necessary to collaborate with other research groups to standardize procedures and to synchronize approaches.