A Review of the Breast Milk Properties with Emphasis on the Neuroprotective Potential of Human Breast-Derived Stem Cells

In recent years, the discovery of stem cells in breast milk, the fate of these cells in infants, and their potential role in regenerative medicine are taken into consideration. Due to the high plasticity and differentiation capacity of these cells as well as the possibility of their differentiation into neural-like cells, the role of these cells during infancy and the possibility of their migration along the intestinal-brain axis are extensively investigated.

Considering the attractive properties of breast milk, the possible role of milk stem cells in the amelioration of pediatric neurological disorders in newborns, and the possibility of increasing neonatal intelligence quotient by migration to the neonatal brain, and their therapeutic potentials in regenerative medicine were reviewed.