Impact of lactation stage, maternal age, and parity on mammary epithelial cell populations in fresh milk.

ABSTRACT: Human milk contains viable mammary epithelial cells (MECs), providing a unique, non-invasive source of primary breast cells. As these cells originate from the lactating breast, they enable direct insights into mammary epithelial biology in vivo, and on the maternal influence on epithelial composition and function potential. Yet, such influences remain poorly characterized. We analyzed 127 milk samples to investigate how lactation stage, maternal age, and parity affect milk-derived MECs abundance, phenotype, and functional properties. Cells were characterized by flow cytometry, gene expression profiling, and protein quantification at isolation and after 21 days of in vitro culture. The lactation stage significantly influenced milk's cellular composition: total cell counts declined over time

SUBMITTER: Salmon-Legagneur M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12835273 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature