Interview with Dr Foteini Hassiotou

The discovery of stem cells in breast milk continues to attract a lot of attention. Dr Foteini Hassiotou is at the forefront of this research investigating their properties and potential. Experiments in mice show that maternal milk stem cells can be found in the liver, pancreas, kidneys, spleen, thymus, and most recently in the brain. Looking at the pathology of the breast, Foteini also quoted studies that breastfeeding results in a reduction of 32% for certain breast cancers. Research shows that - over the period of breastfeeding - the number of certain stem cells in the breast is reduced. She hypothesized that the reduction in breast cancer could have a relation to the reduction of these stem cells in the breast. She also shed light on new research results that show that breast milk contains huge amounts of "microRNA", molecules that control gene functionality. Further research will have to clarify the relevance of this new insight and the role of these new molecules vis-à-vis the baby.