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The University of Western Australia (UWA) researched colostrum's effect on infant gut microbiota in a project called Impact of Colostrum on Early Postnatal and Adult Metabolic and Immune Homeostasis.
Led by Professor Valérie Verhasselt and supported by FLRF, researchers investigated whether colostrum’s specific composition is required for gut immune maturation from birth, which results in low susceptibility to allergy and obesity in the long term.
Initiated in 2018, the project was shaped by earlier findings indicating the composition of colostrum differs profoundly from mature breastmilk (Ballard and Morrow 2013). Yet until then, the potential health impact of colostrum had been poorly investigated.
Researchers analyzed the impact of colostrum intake, and the lack of colostrum intake, on obesity and allergy risks in adulthood. The study also aimed to identify those dietary and physiological factors in early life which condition long-term health by establishing the basis for sustainable prevention of obesity and allergies.
The project was anchored in the UWA School of Medicine and located at the Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Centre for Immunology and Breastfeeding, at the Telethon Kids Institute.
Macchiaverni P, Rekima A, van den Elsen L, Renz H, Verhasselt V. Allergen shedding in human milk: Could it be key for immune system education and allergy prevention? J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2021;148(3):679–88. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.07.012
van den Elsen LWJ, Verhasselt V. Human milk drives the intimate interplay between gut immunity and adipose tissue for healthy growth. Front Immunol. 2021;12:645415. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.645415
Rodríguez JM, Fernández L, Verhasselt V. The gut‒breast axis: Programming health for life. Nutrients. 2021;13(2):606. DOI: 10.3390/nu13020606
Vandenplas Y, Meyer R, Chouraqui J-P, Dupont C, Fiocchi A, Salvatore S, et al. The role of milk feeds and other dietary supplementary interventions in preventing allergic disease in infants: Fact or fiction? Clin Nutr. 2021;40(2):358–71. DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2020.10.025
Adel-Patient K, Bernard H, Fenaille F, Hazebrouck S, Junot C, Verhasselt V. Prevention of allergy to a major cow’s milk allergen by breastfeeding in mice depends on maternal immune status and oral exposure during lactation. Front Immunol. 2020;11:1545. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01545
Rekima A, Bonnart C, Macchiaverni P, Metcalfe J, Tulic MK, Halloin N, et al. A role for early oral exposure to house dust mite allergens through breast milk in IgE-mediated food allergy susceptibility. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;145(5):1416-1429.e11. DOI: 10.1111/all.14142
van den Elsen LWJ, Garssen J, Burcelin R, Verhasselt V. Shaping the gut Microbiota by breastfeeding: The gateway to allergy prevention? Front Pediatr. 2019;7:47. DOI: 10.3389/fped.2019.00047
van den Elsen LWJ, Garssen J, Burcelin R, Verhasselt V. Shaping the Gut Microbiota by Breastfeeding: The Gateway to Allergy Prevention? Front Pediatr. 2019 Feb 27;7:47. DOI: 10.3389/fped.2019.00047. eCollection 2019.
Turfkruyer M, Verhasselt V. Breast milk and its impact on maturation of the neonatal immune system. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2015 Jun;28(3):199-206. DOI: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000165.
He Y, Liu S, Leone S, Newburg DS. Human colostrum oligosaccharides modulate major immunologic pathways of immature human intestine. Mucosal Immunol. 2014 Nov;7(6):1326-39. DOI: 10.1038/mi.2014.20. Epub 2014 Apr 2.
Ballard O, Morrow AL. Human milk composition: nutrients and bioactive factors. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2013 Feb;60(1):49-74. DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2012.10.002.
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