Researchers found that a specific fatty acid in breast milk programs immune cells to fight infections and may reduce the risk of chronic lung disease in premature infants.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Immune System Imprinting: Researchers discovered that trans-vaccenic acid (TVA) in breast milk programs neonatal T cells to better respond to pathogens later in life.
- Respiratory Protection: Higher levels of TVA in breast milk are associated with a reduced risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a chronic inflammatory lung disease affecting premature infants.
- Postnatal Significance: The immune benefits of TVA were only observed during breastfeeding, suggesting that postnatal exposure is critical for long-term immune health.
Trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), the most abundant trans fatty acid found in human breast milk, helps boost immune system development and has long-lasting effects on immune system health, according to a study by researchers from the University of Chicago.
The study, published in Science, showed that nursing mice fed a diet enriched with TVA passed the nutrient to their pups, leading to increased production of immune cells during early development. Genetic analyses also showed that TVA exposure during breastfeeding reprogrammed immune cells to improve responses to pathogens. Mice that were nursed on TVA-enriched milk responded faster to infections with viruses, such as influenza, and common bacteria.
“It’s common knowledge that breastfeeding is important for neonatal immune development and overall health, but breast milk is so complex that it seems almost impossible that one single molecule would be sufficient to change a baby’s immune development,” said Jing Chen, PhD, the Janet Davison Rowley distinguished service professor of medicine at UChicago, in a news release. “So, it was very surprising to see that during this crucial stage of development, one nutrient derived from the mother’s diet and delivered through breastfeeding has such a tremendous effect.”
TVA is a long-chain fatty acid found in meat and dairy products from grazing animals. Because the human body cannot produce TVA on its own, it must be obtained through diet. In the study, the nutrient promoted the development of a broader and more effective immune cell population, particularly CD4+ T cells that are important for adaptive immunity.
The research team also worked with Erika Claud, MD, the Stephen Family professor of pediatrics and director of the UChicago Center for the Science of Early Trajectories, to analyze TVA levels in breast milk and blood samples from human nursing mothers and infants.
They found that higher TVA levels in human breast milk were associated with a reduced risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic inflammatory lung disease that affects premature infants with underdeveloped lungs and increased susceptibility to respiratory infection. In preterm infants, levels of circulating TVA correlated with shifts in immune responses similar to those seen in the mouse models.
“We saw that only postnatal exposure to TVA through breastfeeding is important to train the neonatal T cells, and this can have long-lasting imprinting effects,” said Chen, in a news release. “Even in adulthood, when we challenged the mice with influenza, the ones that were exposed to higher TVA levels during breastfeeding responded better when battling the infection.”
The researchers suggested that these findings could lead to further research on supplementing diets with TVA during pregnancy and breastfeeding or adding the nutrient to infant formula to improve healthcare outcomes for infants.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Ludwig Center at UChicago, the Sigal Fellowship in Immuno-oncology, and the Harborview Foundation Gift Fund.
