Infant rhesus monkeys that are breast fed develop distinct immune systems from those that are fed formula from a bottle, a new study shows.
While researchers expected different diets would promote different intestinal bacteria (microbiota), they were surprised at how dramatically these microbes shaped immunologic development. Specifically, breast-fed macaques had more “memory” T cells and T helper 17 (TH17) cells, which are known to fight salmonella and other pathogens.
