Project

Effects of bovine milk on human immune functioning

Can bovine milk and, in specific the milk immunoglobins (bIgs) support human immune function to better respond to infections and help prevent allergies? What are components that such immune support? Via which mechanisms and at what levels do bovine milk components support immune function? We are trying to find answers to some of these questions.

Background

Bovine milk is a nutrient-rich liquid and serves as a main part of the human diet. It contains numerous functional components that are important not only for their nutritional value but for their immunomodulatory properties. Milk contains immunoglobulins, cytokines, antibacterials, enzymes, hormones, growth factors, and other bioactive peptides that can interact with the consumer immune and non-immune cells and modulate immunological processes.

Project description

Over the years four PhD students have worked on this topic, Gerco den Hartog, Marloes van Splunter, Olaf Perdijk, and Mojtaba Porbahaie. We have especially worked on immunological effects of milk oligosaccharides, lactoferrin, TGF-, and immunoglobulins (bIgG). This work has been done in vitro as well as in vivo intervention studies (Oral vaccination and ETEC inifectious challenge together with NIZO). Several of these studies were done in close collaboration with FrieslandCampina.

Key findings so far are that bovine IgG, TGF-, IL-10, and lactoferrin are functionally active on human immune cells, and that oligosaccharides have effects on microbiota composition and indirectly via production on SCFA on immune function and interstinal barrier funxtion as well.

Publications