Transforming growth factor-β in milk
In: Handbook of dietary and nutritional aspects of human breast milkSearch for other papers by W. H. Oddy in
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Identified factors from milk have been shown to improve health outcomes. One specific factor, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), has been previously identified in milk as having the potential to impact on immunological outcomes in the newborn offspring. TGF-β delivered orally to neonates provides protection against adverse immunological outcomes, corroborating and supporting findings from both human and animal studies. TGF-βs are important growth factors involved in maintaining homeostasis in the intestine, regulating inflammation and allergy development and promoting oral tolerance in infants. Human milk TGF-β is essential in developing and maintaining appropriate immune responses in infants. Animal studies provide important clues to the pathogenesis and therapeutics of immune activation and allergy in early childhood. Thus overall, findings suggest that this cytokine in milk may influence the development of immunological outcomes in offspring. Large clinical studies in diverse human populations are indicated.