Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 Infection and its Effects on Human Milk Extracellular Vesicles
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Feb 16, 2025 4 days, 15 hours, 54 minutes ago
Medical News: A recent study has shed light on the effects of prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection on human milk and its extracellular vesicles (HMEVs). These vesicles are tiny particles present in breast milk that play a crucial role in infant development and immune protection. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine-USA, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center-USA, the University of Vermont-USA, and Christian Medical College in India have collaborated to examine how a mother's COVID-19 infection during pregnancy impacts the molecular composition of these vesicles.
Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 Infection and its Effects on Human Milk Extracellular Vesicles
What the Study Found
This
Medical News report reveals that human milk contains biologically active components that contribute to infant health, including HMEVs. The study focused on the changes in these vesicles when the mother had COVID-19 during pregnancy. Using advanced molecular analysis techniques, scientists compared the HMEVs from mothers who had contracted SARS-CoV-2 with those from healthy mothers. The findings indicate that prenatal COVID-19 infection alters the composition of HMEVs in ways that may benefit the infant’s immune system.
HMEVs were extracted from milk samples of nine mothers who had COVID-19 during pregnancy and six healthy mothers. Scientists used nanoparticle tracking analysis to examine the size and concentration of these vesicles. Results showed that mothers who had COVID-19 produced HMEVs with different proteins, which were associated with improved mucosal immunity, metabolic reprogramming, and enhanced tissue development in infants.
Potential Benefits for Infants
The study found that certain proteins within HMEVs were significantly upregulated in mothers who had COVID-19. These proteins are known to play roles in immune response, suggesting that the milk from these mothers may provide additional protection to their babies against infections. Specifically, researchers observed increased levels of immunoglobulin-related proteins, which could help strengthen an infant’s defense against viruses and bacteria.
Another key discovery was that these changes were not observed in other milk components, such as microRNAs, which are small genetic molecules involved in regulating cellular processes. This suggests that the body selectively modifies specific proteins in breast milk to enhance infant immunity without disrupting other essential functions.
How the Study Was Conducted
The research team collected breast milk samples at two weeks postpartum from participants in the NIH-funded IMPRINT birth cohort. This provided them with a standardized dataset for comparing the effects of prenatal COVID-19 infection. Scientists used proteomics (a study of proteins) and microRNA sequencing techniques to analyze the molecular cargo of HMEVs. Their goal was to determine whether maternal COVID-19 history had lasting effects on breast milk composition.
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e researchers also ensured that all mothers included in the study had not been vaccinated for COVID-19 before milk collection, ruling out the possibility that vaccine-related immunity influenced the results. This helped them isolate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection alone on the changes observed in the HMEVs.
Conclusions and Future Research
The study suggests that maternal COVID-19 infection may have a protective effect on breastfed infants by enhancing the immune properties of HMEVs. This is an important discovery, as it highlights how the human body naturally adapts to infections to optimize infant health. However, researchers emphasize that further studies are needed to confirm these findings across larger populations.
Future research will focus on whether these changes persist throughout the lactation period or if they are temporary adaptations. Scientists are also keen to investigate the potential long-term effects of these altered HMEVs on childhood immunity and overall health. Additionally, studies may explore whether similar modifications occur in mothers who were vaccinated during pregnancy.
This groundbreaking research provides valuable insights into the benefits of breastfeeding, particularly in the post-COVID era.
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal: Cells.
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/4/284
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-infection-during-pregnancy-results-in-histopathological-changes-of-the-placenta
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/study-shows-disruptions-in-lipid-metabolism-in-covid-19-infections-during-pregnancy-will-affect-newborn-health
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