Like most expectant mothers, Stephanie King had a firm idea of how she wanted the birth of her children to go. But when the time came to have her twins in July 2019, her plans started unravelling.
Stanley, the first twin, was nearly born in the car park. He came so fast that I didnt even get to have gas and air, says King, who lives in Herefordshire in the UK. Soon after, the heartbeat of her second twin Sophia dropped so dramatically that the doctors sent King for an emergency caesarean section. Both babies were fine, but King wasnt. She haemorrhaged severely, losing five litres of blood. As if that wasnt enough, she then developed an antibiotic-resistant infection in her womb, which later spread to her blood and turned septic. Pneumonia followed and then her chest cavity filled with pus, requiring two further surgeries.
It would be eight long weeks before King returned home. On strong antibiotics and hormone replacement therapy, she couldnt safely breastfeed her twins. It was almost more traumatic than what I had been through in the hospital, says King, whose older son self-weaned at the age of three. Because I had breastfed my son for so long, I knew the nutritional benefits breast milk provides.
According to the World Health Organisation, breast milk is an important source of nutrients and energy for infants, protecting against gastrointestinal infections, and helping to reduce obesity risk while improving IQ later on in life, among other benefits. For mothers like King unable to breastfeed yet still wanting to provide their babies human milk the options are limited. Milk banks arent available in every country or city, and marketplaces on Facebook, Craigslist and other online platforms are poorly regulated.
Fengru Lin is trying to find a way around the problem. In January 2019, Lin founded TurtleTree Labs, a Singapore-based startup that is attempting to grow human breast milk in a laboratory. The company starts with stem cells taken from donor breast milk, multiplies them before putting them into a growth fluid within a hollow fibre bioreactor imagine a giant steel cup with hundreds and thousands of little perforated straws, says Lin. There, the cells differentiate into mammary ones and start producing milk. The entire process takes three weeks, says Lin, and the mammary cells can lactate for roughly 200 days.
Its a technique that can theoretically be used to obtain milk from any mammal, as long as stem cells are available. TurtleTree has already successfully produced full-composition cows milk from stem cells in freshly-expressed cow's milk. It now plans to do the same for human milk. Were not trying to replace breastfeeding, which is something were fully behind," says Lin, who was first drawn to the idea of making milk from cells because of a passion for cheesemaking.
More than 80 per cent of new mothers in the US and UK start out breastfeeding, but only half and a third, respectively, still do so exclusively at six months. Globally, this figure is 37 per cent. The reasons vary: some struggle to produce sufficient amounts, while others have to return to work where pumping and storing milk isnt convenient. Many also find expressing milk physically painful, experiencing mastitis, chafed nipples and other excruciating effects. Then there are mothers on medications or undergoing treatments that make it unsafe for them to breastfeed. And sometimes, babies may be premature or too weak to suckle. The fact is mums rely on infant formula, says Lin. Thats where we want to be the next best thing.
While formula has come a long way, especially in the past two decades, it still lacks many nutrients found in breast milk. And thats largely because most infant formulas are based on cow, rather than human, milk. The two contain mostly the same type of molecules but in different proportions, says Alan Kelly, a food scientist at University College Cork in Ireland. And the difference in those levels is very physiologically significant.
The mineral levels in cows milk are much higher and so is its protein content (3.5 versus one per cent), while the carbohydrates levels are significantly lower (roughly 4.5 versus seven per cent), he says. Crucially, there are a group of complex carbohydrates that are unique to human milk. Its now known that oligosaccharides play a huge role in the development of an infant, for example protecting against infections, says Kelly. Infant formula can be tweaked to adjust for some of these differences, but it cant fully replicate the real thing.
And because formula uses cows milk as a starting material, the environmental cost of producing it is also substantial. It takes an estimated 4,700 litres of water to make just one kilogram of milk powder. Formula also frequently contains palm oil, which has a large carbon footprint.
Lab-grown breast milk holds the potential to alleviate some of these problems. Some of it has to do with a renewed interest in sustainability, while the rest is because we now have a much deeper understanding of the different types of cellular agriculture, says Michelle Egger, co-founder of the North Carolina-based startup BioMilq, which is also looking to produce breast milk in the lab.
To everyone else, it sounds like pigs flying, she says. But for us, its just applying science in a way that can help more women.
While both Biomilq and TurtleTree Labs who have each raised more than $3.5 million (2.65m) in funding hope to eventually produce human milk sans breasts, there are some key differences. For one, Biomilq is working directly with mammary epithelial cells rather than stem cells. Its also aiming to sell milk directly to consumers, whereas TurtleTree plans to license its technology to large formula companies.
Any milk made in a lab wont be able to replicate the immune benefits that breastfeeding gives to infants. Human breast milk contains high amounts of antibodies produced in the blood that are then passed on to the baby, giving them some protection against diseases. Breast milk is an extraordinarily complex biofluid, says Natalie Shenker, a breast milk researcher at Imperial College London. Not only does it have hundreds of proteins and more than 200 oligosaccharides, it also comprises a multitude of hormones, fats and beneficial bacteria, which are made elsewhere in the body and transported into mammary cells.
These components which cannot be replicated in the lab are crucial for renal, cell membrane and immune system development, says Shenker. Plus they help keep fluid and electrolyte levels consistent, among other functions.
In addition, breast milk is a dynamic substance that responds to a babys changing needs. Saliva can flow backwards into the milk duct and be a way of signalling to the mother, says fellow breast milk researcher Maryanne Perrin at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. And some studies show that antimicrobial proteins go up with an infant illness.
Shenker adds: [Human milk] is tailored based on the mothers and babys genetics, the environment they live in, the geography, season and even temperature of the day thats how responsive human milk is.
Biological differences aside, a number of hurdles remain before lab-grown milk becomes a reality. For one, firms must find a way to keep the most costly aspects of production the nutrients and lactation media low in order for the milk to be affordable. Scaling up also comes with technical difficulties. TurtleTree Labs is currently optimising their lactation process in a five-litre bioreactor, which they hope to scale up linearly to industrial size ones of 1,000 and 50,000 litres next year. (Biomilq declined to share the size of its reactors.)
Figuring out how to preserve the final product will also be key, says Kelly. Pasteurisation, freezing or dehydrating it into a powder might change some of the milks components and undo some of its advantages.
Safety testing is another big hurdle that the companies will have to overcome. This is not just you and me going to the supermarket and buying food for ourselves, says Perrin. Infants are considered a vulnerable population. Its ethically tricky to conduct clinical trials when such young infants are involved. And because lab-grown breast milk is uncharted waters, regulatory authorities will have to figure out how to classify it and even create a formal breastmilk standard (which doesnt currently exist).
I think the research going into making breast milk in the lab is a wonderful prospect, says King, who was forced to rely on formula to feed her twins in the early weeks, but is now breastfeeding them exclusively. Had I been offered donor milk initially or if this lab-grown breast milk was in full swing, then that is what I would have gone for first.
Night trains are brilliant. So why doesnt the UK have any to Europe?
The race is on to create a vaccine. This mRNA coronavirus vaccine is two breakthroughs in one
Need some peace? These are the best noise-cancelling headphones in 2020
Listen to The WIRED Podcast, the week in science, technology and culture, delivered every Friday
Follow WIRED on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Get The Email from WIRED, your no-nonsense briefing on all the biggest stories in technology, business and science. In your inbox every weekday at 12pm sharp.
by entering your email address, you agree to our privacy policy
Thank You. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. You will hear from us shortly.
Sorry, you have entered an invalid email. Please refresh and try again.
See more here:
Inside the race to ditch formula and grow breast milk in the lab - Wired.co.uk
- North Carolina Stem Cell Treatment | Stem Cell Treatments [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2014]
- Carolina Stem Cell Treatment Center | carolina stem ... [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2014]
- The Man Who Grew Eyes From Scratch [Last Updated On: August 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: August 26th, 2014]
- For the first time, researchers isolate adult stem cells ... [Last Updated On: August 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: August 26th, 2014]
- Charlotte NC Resources - Stem Cells: Get Facts on Uses ... [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2014]
- Fayetteville North Carolina Stem Cell Research ... [Last Updated On: September 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 16th, 2014]
- Study Offers Fertility Preservation Option to Young Boys with Cancer [Last Updated On: October 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2014]
- Local doctor uses stem cells to heal [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2014]
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell ... [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2014]
- New e-Incubator enables real-time imaging of bioengineered tissues in controlled unit [Last Updated On: November 5th, 2014] [Originally Added On: November 5th, 2014]
- Dying child approved for new treatment testing [Last Updated On: January 2nd, 2015] [Originally Added On: January 2nd, 2015]
- Cancer Care Northwest Stem Cell Transplantation [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2015] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2015]
- COPD Prognosis Stem Cells Canada, COPD Alternative ... [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2015]
- Image: Human endothelial cells experiment bound for ISS [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2015]
- Core labs | North Carolina Biotech Center [Last Updated On: April 29th, 2015] [Originally Added On: April 29th, 2015]
- Cary North Carolina Stem Cell Research | Cary NC Stem Cell ... [Last Updated On: July 2nd, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 2nd, 2015]
- JCI - Type 2 alveolar cells are stem cells in adult lung [Last Updated On: October 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: October 19th, 2015]
- Stem Cell Research in North Carolina ... Whats Really ... [Last Updated On: August 5th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 5th, 2016]
- Biotechnology Teacher Resources Online | North Carolina ... [Last Updated On: August 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 19th, 2016]
- Cato - Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina [Last Updated On: August 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 21st, 2016]
- Cary NC Stem Cell Treatment | Cary North Carolina Cancer ... [Last Updated On: November 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 16th, 2016]
- Lung fibrosis? Stem cell therapy holds promise - The Hindu - The Hindu [Last Updated On: August 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 11th, 2017]
- Stem cells may treat lung fibrosis diseases - Futurity: Research News [Last Updated On: August 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 11th, 2017]
- CRISPR Edits Genome of Human Embryos - Alzforum [Last Updated On: August 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 11th, 2017]
- Former basketball star Greg Friel in fight of his life - Fosters - Foster's Daily Democrat [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2017]
- Avalon Advisors Has Decreased Its Comcast Cmn Class (CMCSA) Position; Neuralstem (CUR)'s Sentiment Is 0 - High Point Observer [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2017]
- Stem Cells in Focus - Blog - Closer Look at Stem Cells [Last Updated On: October 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: October 10th, 2017]
- Spotlights Archive | The University of North Carolina at ... [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2017]
- Charlotte, North Carolina - Stem Cells Transplant Institute [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2018] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2018]
- Stem Cell Greensboro North Carolina 27455 [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2018] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2018]
- Bone Marrow Transplant | Durham, Raleigh, North Carolina ... [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2018] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2018]
- Stem Cell Therapy North Carolina | Regenerative Medicine ... [Last Updated On: October 4th, 2018] [Originally Added On: October 4th, 2018]
- Stem Cell Therapy Latest Research Charlotte, North Carolina [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2018]
- Alumna to compete for Miss America crown on Sunday - UNCSA [Last Updated On: February 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: February 3rd, 2019]
- Stem Cell Chapel Hill North Carolina 27514 [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2019] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2019]
- Clinical Trial for Autism - cordbloodbank.com [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2019] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2019]
- Stem Cell Winston Salem North Carolina 27150 [Last Updated On: April 5th, 2019] [Originally Added On: April 5th, 2019]
- Cesca Therapeutics Inc. (KOOL) Can't Be More Safe. Trades Significantly Higher - Invest Tribune [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2019]
- Global Synthetic Stem Cells Market to Accumulate Revenues Worth US $42 Million By 2025 - ZMR News Research [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2019]
- Heal Yourself: How Exosome Therapy Can Repair Age-Damaged Skin - Market Research Finance [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2019]
- Global Synthetic Stem Cells Market Estimated to Reach USD 42 Million By 2025 - Daily Market Updates [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2019]
- Reviewing BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BCRX)'s and Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:BCLI)'s results - MS Wkly [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2019]
- Reviewing vTv Therapeutics Inc. (VTVT)'s and Asterias Biotherapeutics Inc. (:)'s results - MS Wkly [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2019]
- Clinic pitches unproven treatments to desperate patients, with tips on raising the cash - Seattle Times [Last Updated On: December 6th, 2019] [Originally Added On: December 6th, 2019]
- Synthetic Stem Cells Market Is Expecting Revolutionary Growth 2019 with Top Key Players: North Carolina State University (NCSU), Zhengzhou University... [Last Updated On: December 6th, 2019] [Originally Added On: December 6th, 2019]
- Top Florida Medical Spa, Amnion of Florida, Partners With Merakris Therapeutics to Advance Their Non-Surgical Treatment Options - Business Wire [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2019] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2019]
- The Future of Bioprinting Research Has a New Road Map - 3DPrint.com [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- Searching for the 'big break' that could turn stem cells into a weapon against dementia - Genetic Literacy Project [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2020]
- Why Some COVID-19 Cases Are Worse than Others - The Scientist [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2020]
- Treatment in clinical trial offers options to woman fighting return of cancer (+ video) - WRAL Tech Wire [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2020]
- Balding men could grow hair back in weeks thanks to 'miracle potion' - Daily Star [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2020]
- Study finds little evidence to back cord-blood therapy for autism - Spectrum [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2020]
- Chancellor Harold L. Martin, on His Plan to Safely Open the Nation's Largest HCBU During COVID-19 - TIME [Last Updated On: August 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 23rd, 2020]
- Bayer to acquire Asklepios Bio in foray into gene therapy worth up to $4 billion - Reuters [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2021]
- Invisible pest causes more than $1 billion in crop losses - The Albany Herald [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2021]
- After Bone Marrow Donation Saves 9-Year-Old Boy With Cancer, Boston Mom Fights To Raise Awareness - Here And Now [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2021]
- Researchers curb local immune response in horses receiving stem cell injury therapy - Horsetalk [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2021]
- Nanodecoy Therapy is an Effective Alternative to Neutralize SARS-CoV-2 Virus - AZoNano [Last Updated On: June 23rd, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 23rd, 2021]
- 'Nanodecoy' Therapy Binds and Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 Virus - NC State News [Last Updated On: June 23rd, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 23rd, 2021]
- What it means to be the worlds first IVF baby - THE WEEK [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2021]
- Cellectis Announces Participation in Five Investor Conferences - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2021]
- Study Underway to Evaluate New PD-1/CD3 Antibody in T-cell Lymphoma - Targeted Oncology [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2021] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2021]
- Cytovia and Cellectis Expand Their TALEN Gene-Edited iNK Partnership to Enable Broader ... - The Bakersfield Californian [Last Updated On: November 22nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: November 22nd, 2021]
- Hoth Therapeutics Announces a Sponsored Research Agreement to Further Develop Novel mRNA Cancer Therapeutic HT-KIT - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: November 22nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: November 22nd, 2021]
- Jasper Therapeutics to Present Updated Data on JSP191 Conditioning in SCID Patients at the 2022 Clinical Immunology Society Annual Meeting - Yahoo... [Last Updated On: April 6th, 2022] [Originally Added On: April 6th, 2022]
- A Cure for Type 1 Diabetes? For One Man, It Seems to Have Worked. [Last Updated On: June 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: June 4th, 2022]
- The Soybean Plant | NC State Extension Publications [Last Updated On: June 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: June 4th, 2022]
- How psilocybin, the psychedelic in mushrooms, may rewire the brain to ease depression, anxiety - WYFF4 Greenville [Last Updated On: June 13th, 2022] [Originally Added On: June 13th, 2022]
- Pediatric Urologist Dr. Anthony Atala to Receive 2022 Jacobson Innovation Award of the American College of Surgeons for Pioneering Work in... [Last Updated On: June 13th, 2022] [Originally Added On: June 13th, 2022]
- BioRestorative Therapies Annou - GuruFocus.com [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2022]
- W-S organization working on regenerative therapies for 40 organs, tissues - WRAL TechWire [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2022]
- Inceptor Bio Announces Strategic Collaboration with University of Minnesota to Develop Novel iPSC Platform for the Advancement of Next-Generation... [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2022]
- How psilocybin, the psychedelic in mushrooms, may rewire the brain to ease depression, anxiety and more - KYMA [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2022] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2022]
- Vegan Oysters in Shells? This Startup Just Developed a Prototype to Save the Oceans - VegNews [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2022] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2022]
- Lifting up NC Teachers of the Year and TFA alumni - EdNC [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2022]
- Grafting and Budding Nursery Crop Plants - North Carolina State University [Last Updated On: October 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 4th, 2022]
- A Look Into the Next Century After 100 Years of Insulin - Cureus [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 13th, 2022]
- Scientists Discover Protein Partners that Could Heal Heart Muscle | Newsroom - UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 13th, 2022]
- Global Synthetic Stem Cells Market Is Expected To Reach Around USD 42 Million By 2025 - openPR [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2022] [Originally Added On: October 13th, 2022]
- Israeli-Based 3D-Printed Lab-Grown Meat Company is Building World's ... [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2022] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2022]