Lactation Overview - Concepedia

Principles

Definition

Lactation is the complex physiological process in mammals involving the synthesis, secretion, and ejection of milk from the mammary glands to nourish offspring. As a research concept, it constitutes a multidisciplinary field investigating the underlying endocrine regulation, cellular biology of mammary tissue development and function, nutritional composition of milk, and behavioral aspects related to nursing, which are critical for reproductive success and offspring development.

Ontological type

Endocrine Regulation

Milk Composition

Mammary Gland Biology

Key developments

Key Figures

Endocrine Foundations era

J. L. Linzell [1] figures prominently in the Endocrine Foundations era, with affiliations spanning institutions such as the University of Hong Kong [3] and the University of Hawaii System [4]. His work from 1959 to 1966—Physiology of the Mammary Glands [7], A quantitative assessment of the contribution of individual plasma amino acids to the synthesis of milk proteins by the goat mammary gland [8], and SOME EFFECTS OF DENERVATING AND TRANSPLANTING MAMMARY GLANDS [9]—mapped mammary development and milk production, and advanced the view that endocrine regulation governs lactation through defined regulatory points and measurable outputs. R. L. Baldwin [2] is similarly central, with ties to the University of California, Berkeley [5] and Ghent University [6] during this era. His 1966 Enzymatic Changes Associated with the Initiation and Maintenance of Lactation in the Rat [10] highlighted enzymatic shifts as a mechanism linking endocrine status to lactational capacity, helping to integrate metabolic substrates and hormonal regulation within the lactation framework of the period.

Physiologic Molecular Integration era

Panos Deloukas [1] is associated with Harvard University [3] and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [4] in this era. His key contribution in this era was the study Convergent adaptation of human lactase persistence in Africa and Europe [6], which illuminated genetic adaptation to milk consumption and its implications for lactation biology. Tim Cole [2] is associated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology [4] and Washington University in St. Louis [5] in this era. His work on Breast milk and neonatal necrotising enterocolitis [7] highlighted the protective role of breast milk in preventing NEC and informed breastfeeding guidance during this era.

Milk Bioactivity and Translation era

María Carmen Collado [1], Parc Científic de la Universitat de València [3] and University of Turku [4], contributed to milk bioactivity research during the Milk Bioactivity and Translation era (2010-2023). Her key contributions center on the study The human milk microbiome changes over lactation and is shaped by maternal weight and mode of delivery [6], which demonstrated that milk microbiota evolve across lactation and are influenced by maternal weight and delivery mode, a finding with strong translational relevance for infant gut development. Seppo Salminen [2], BOKU University [5] and University of Turku [4], contributed to milk bioactivity translation research in the same era. His work on the same paper [6] highlighted the milk microbiome's dynamic changes and the potential to translate these insights into clinical practice for infant care and maternal health within this era.