Breast milk induces the differentiation of monocytes into macrophages, promoting human cytomegalovirus infection.

ABSTRACT: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus found in human breast milk that is frequently transmitted from HCMV-seropositive mothers to their infants during the postnatal period. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms underlying HCMV transmission from breast milk and the anatomical location at which virus transfer takes place remain unclear. Breast milk contains many uniquely differentiated macrophages that undergo specific morphological and functional modifications in the mammary gland during lactation. Although the existence of permissive HCMV infection in differentiated macrophages has been well-described, the role of breast milk in this process remains unknown. Herein, we report that exposure of isolated peripheral blood monocytes to breast milk induces their different

SUBMITTER: Cai X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11406957 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature