The immunological benefits of complex oligosaccharides in human milk

Human milk remains the preferred nutrition in early life for infant development. Infant formula has been developed over many decades into adequate nutrition for those infants who cannot receive human milk. However, even modern infant formulas lack components that are tailor-made by each mother for the immune imprinting of her baby, such as specic antibodies (based on the immunologic history of the mother) and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) (based on the mother’s specic genetic makeup with regard to Lewis blood group and secretor status). The primary immune challenge after birth is infection, but secondary to this, the immune system should develop and mature in the most appropriate way to ght against the onset of immune disorders such as allergies and autoimmunity (i.e., learning to distinguish between self and nonself), which is pivotal for healthy development. Within this chapter, we will highlight the immunological importance of unique and specic oligosaccharides known to be present in human milk, focusing on their role in immune development. Moreover, the unique interactions between specic oligosaccharides on the microbiome and immune development will be discussed, as well as the impact of such interactions regarding specic immune-related diseases.