Diet-microbe-host interaction in early life

• 成果类型: Editorial Material
• 署名作者: Stewart, Christopher J.
• 署名单位: Newcastle University - UK
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-11689
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adi6318
• 发表日期: 2023-07-07
• 关键词: gut microbiome; infant

摘要

Breast milk is a complex biofluid crafted over millions of years of evolution to provide optimal nutrition along with other bioactive compounds to the infant. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are complex sugars that represent the fourth most abundant component of breast milk, which makes them more numerous than proteins and other vital nutrients, yet they provide no direct nutritional benefit to the infant (1). Human evolution does not favor wasteful processes, which suggests that HMOs play another crucial role in infant development. Recent work has borne this out and highlighted HMOs' ability to act as prebiotics. To improve human health throughout life by means of targeted intervention, it is paramount to better understand the three-way interaction between diet, microbe, and host.