Breast milk contains stem cells

The Perth scientist who made the world-first discovery that human
breast milk contains stem cells is confident that within five years
scientists will be harvesting them to research treatment for conditions
as far-reaching as spinal injuries, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

But what Dr Mark Cregan is excited about right now is the promise that
his discovery could be the start of many more exciting revelations
about the potency of breast milk.

He believes that it not only meets all the nutritional needs of a
growing infant but contains key markers that guide his or her
development into adulthood.

“We already know how breast milk provides for the baby’s nutritional
needs, but we are only just beginning to understand that it probably
performs many other functions,” says Dr Cregan, a molecular biologist
at The University of Western Australia.