Abstract
Innate Immunity 2018; 24
Exosomes represent small nanometer vesicles released from cells, carrying, particularly, biomolecular information. Such vesicles consist of mainly protein, lipid and microRNA, and they are of high interest in various research areas since they represent important players in intercellular communication, as a delivery system. Exosomes are found in several body fluids, including breast milk.
In this work, Martin et al. hypothesized that human breast milk-derived exosomes can protect intestinal epithelial cells from oxidative stress and cell death, particularly in the scenario of necrotizing enterocolitis. Breast milk as such had been shown to have a protective effect; here, however, the specific component of its complex molecular composition (containing, in addition to exosomes, immunoglobulins, proteins, and fat) had not been identified. The outcome of this work by Martin et al. was that oxidative stress induced by H2O2 caused a 50% decrease in cell viability and that human breast milk-derived exosomes had a protective effect in intestinal epithelial cells. Although the detailed mechanism has still to be investigated, it appears clear that human breast milk-derived exosomes represent an attractive concept for children with intestinal injury.