Breastmilk: Nature’s Hidden Superpower Now Being Tapped to Fight Infections

Long celebrated as the gold standard in infant nutrition, breastmilk may also hold the key to preventing and even treating serious infections well beyond infancy. A new research collaboration between Leipzig-based biotech company Primogene and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI) is setting out to uncover just how powerful breastmilk’s natural compounds really are.

From birth, breastfed infants benefit from a lower risk of infections - a fact that has long fascinated scientists. The secret lies in the complex mix of bioactive molecules in human milk: sugars like human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), specialized glycoproteins, glycopeptides, and glycosaminoglycans, all of which help shape the infant’s immune system and fend off harmful pathogens.

Now, this scientific duo is going beyond observation to action - reproducing breastmilk bioactive compounds in the lab and testing their potential in disease prevention - in a project with a total volume of €1.3 million.

The Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Climate Protection (SWMA) is funding the promising project from state and European Union funds (European Regional Development Fund EFRE). Dirk Panter, Saxon State Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Climate Protection, stated: "Primogene is an outstanding example of the innovative strength of Saxon biotechnology. Together with the Leipzig-based Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, the company is pursuing a solution to a global health problem with next-generation nutrition for the prevention of serious infections. The project demonstrates the perfect collaboration between an excellent research institution and a highly innovative Saxon biotechnology startup.”

A primary target of the project is RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), the leading cause of infant hospitalization worldwide. In Europe (including Germany), RSV is also recognized as a major cause of pediatric hospitalization in the first year of life, especially during RSV season (fall/winter). While no broadly effective treatment currently exists, breastfed infants show greater resilience to RSV. By recreating breastmilk-derived molecules using its proprietary HuReCa® platform, Primogene is supplying bioactive ingredients for rigorous testing by Fraunhofer IZI in cell-based and preclinical studies.

Yet the researchers believe the impact could go even further.

One of the most pressing public health threats today is sepsis, a condition that results from the body’s extreme response to infection. In Germany alone, every six minutes, one person dies from sepsis. If symptoms are recognized early and treated with appropriate interventions, sepsis can often be prevented. Unfortunately, the condition remains underdiagnosed and poorly understood.“

Some of the worst bacterial infections come from resistant strains like Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae,” explains Dr. Thomas Grunwald from Fraunhofer IZI. “We’re investigating whether compounds found in breastmilk could neutralize these bacteria and help the body avoid spiraling into sepsis.”

Dr. Nadja Uhlig heading the Unit Preclinical Validation at Fraunhofer IZI, adds: “We’ve known for years that breastmilk protects infants. What excites us now is the opportunity to understand exactly how - and to apply those mechanisms in new ways to fight infections across the population.”

The ambition of the project is bold: to demonstrate that breastmilk is not just for babies, but a highly understudied resource of functional ingredients, with benefits that could extend to people of all ages.

“Breastmilk is a uniquely evolved blend of nutritional and functional compounds, finely tuned over millions of years to support and protect human life from the very beginning,” says Dr. Reza Mahour, CEO of Primogene. “It’s time we look beyond infancy and explore its potential to deliver health benefits across the entire lifespan.”