Mother's milk is the perfect baby food. Lactation is the process of producing and releasing milk from the mammary glands in your breasts. Lactogenesis begins around the 16th week into pregnancy. Estrogen & Progesterone levels rise, milk ducts increase in numbers, the mammary glands start to get primed for milk production.
Soon after the delivery Estrogen & Progesterone falls and Prolactin takes over. Prolactin is the hormone that produces milk.
The mammary epithelial cells in lobules in the breast tissue are responsible for making milk. A recent startup (2019) by two women - named Biomilq became the first to venture into producing milk from these epithelial cells, outside the body. In February 2020, the pair announced their lab-grown mammary cells made the two key components of breast milk: lactose and casein — a pivotal step in creating a cultured breast milk that's "nutritionally equivalent" to the real thing. An environment is created for this epithelial cell culture and Prolactin is used to nudge them into milk production.
They expect to improve the process and go into production within a few years. It's not a replacement for human breast milk. Nothing can beat the real one. But will help in cases when breastfeeding is not possible.
Note that there is a shortcoming of milk produced using this method. It's unable to transmit antibodies and build up the baby's immune system. Real mother's milk does this.
Soon after the delivery Estrogen & Progesterone falls and Prolactin takes over. Prolactin is the hormone that produces milk.
The mammary epithelial cells in lobules in the breast tissue are responsible for making milk. A recent startup (2019) by two women - named Biomilq became the first to venture into producing milk from these epithelial cells, outside the body. In February 2020, the pair announced their lab-grown mammary cells made the two key components of breast milk: lactose and casein — a pivotal step in creating a cultured breast milk that's "nutritionally equivalent" to the real thing. An environment is created for this epithelial cell culture and Prolactin is used to nudge them into milk production.
They expect to improve the process and go into production within a few years. It's not a replacement for human breast milk. Nothing can beat the real one. But will help in cases when breastfeeding is not possible.
Note that there is a shortcoming of milk produced using this method. It's unable to transmit antibodies and build up the baby's immune system. Real mother's milk does this.
