Dr. Meghan Koch’s work in mice on how breast milk’s immune proteins shape infant immune system, long-term health could someday help human babies.
Much like actual infants, infant immune systems are short on experience. They need to be taught how to differentiate friend from foe, when to fight and when to make peace. These early lessons can have long-term implications for an infant’s immune system, microbiome and general health.
In honor of Mother’s Day, Fred Hutch spoke with Dr. Meghan Koch, who uses mice to study how specialized immune proteins passed to infants during breastfeeding can “imprint” the infant’s immune system. Koch hopes her insights into what factors in breast milk set infants up for optimal health translate into improved formula composition and support for parents who do breastfeed.
