Camilla Jessen
A new study reveals that women who breastfeed could gain a powerful immune advantage that may last for decades.
New research from Australia suggests that the benefits of breastfeeding extend far beyond the baby years.
A study led by researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne found that women who breastfeed develop long-lasting immune changes in their breast tissue.
These changes may help guard against the development of aggressive forms of breast cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer.
A lasting immune defense
According to lead researcher Professor Sherene Loi, women who have breastfed show a higher presence of CD8⁺ T cells in their breast tissue.
These specialized immune cells act like sentinels, staying in the tissue for years and ready to eliminate abnormal cells that might become cancerous.
“We could see that women who had breastfed have more specialized immune cells – the so-called CD8⁺ T cells – that persist in breast tissue for decades after birth,” Professor Loi explained in a press release.
The findings indicate that breastfeeding may trigger immune-based changes — not just hormonal ones — that lower the long-term risk of breast cancer.
New clues for prevention and treatment
While it’s been known that childbirth reduces the risk of breast cancer, this study shifts the focus to the immune system.
The researchers compared breast tissue from healthy women and breast cancer patients, both with and without children, and conducted animal studies to better understand how immune protection develops.
Their conclusion: breastfeeding strengthens the local immune defense in breast tissue, potentially creating a lifelong shield against cancer.
“This could be an evolutionary mechanism to protect mothers during the vulnerable postpartum period,” Loi notes.
The study was published in the scientific journal Nature.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
