How Do Human Milk Oligosaccharides Modulate the Immune System in Infants with Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy? Emerging Evidence and Clinical Implications

Abstract

During this symposium, leading experts in paediatric allergy and immunology examined evidence for the immunomodulatory role of human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) in infants with cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), and considered the implications for clinical management. Mechanisms underpinning the positive modulatory effect of HMOs on the early microbiome and immune system responses in healthy infants and those with CMPA were explored by Liam O’Mahony, University College Cork, Republic of Ireland. Anna Nowak-Węgrzyn, Professor of Pediatrics at the New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, NYU Langone Health, New York City, USA, then reviewed findings from the CINNAMON and PLATYPUS clinical trials, highlighting the beneficial impact of HMO-supplemented formula on the clinical management of infants with CMPA. In these studies, hypoallergenic formulae containing the two key HMOs, 2′-Fucosyllactose (2’-FL) and Lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), showed a good safety profile, supported normal infant growth, and, importantly, helped to reduce the risk of respiratory infection in children with mild, moderate, or severe CMPA. In the final presentation of the symposium, Ralf Heine, Global Medical Director of Paediatric Care at Nestlé Health Science, Switzerland, showcased new data from the CINNAMON and PLATYPUS studies, shedding further light on the mechanisms by which HMOs can shape the early microbiome and influence the metabolome profile associated with important immune benefits in CMPA.