Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMO) Symposia Abstracts

Editor(s): Michelle MacGuire, Lars Bode, Norbert Sprenger, Philippe Alliet, Sharon M. Donovan, Hania Szajewska.

A collection of abstracts from NNI Symposia 2018-2019


Global variation in human milk oligosaccharides and their relationships with other milk components

Author(s): Michelle MacGuire

The term “oligosaccharide” (derived from the Greek olígos, meaning little or few, and sákkhar, meaning sugar) is generally used to describe a group of complex carbohydrates made of 3 to 6 simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose. Interestingly, breastmilk contains a diverse and unique set of oligosaccharides – collectively referred to as human milk oligosaccharides (HMO).

An Introduction to the Basic science and Complexity of Human Milk Oligosaccharides

Author(s): Lars Bode

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are complex sugars (carbohydrates) that represent the third most abundant component of human milk after lactose and lipids. More than 150 different and structurally distinct HMOs have been identified so far and accumulating evidence indicates strong structure-function relationships – in other words: different HMOs have different functions.

Physiological significance of HMO: Why are they in mother’s milk?

Author(s): Norbert Sprenger

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) have no nutritive value, yet mothers spend significant energy for their synthesis. So what do they do? Clinical observational studies together with basic research position HMO as multifunctional innate breastmilk component. They shape the establishing gut microbiota and supposedly help the development of appropriate immune competence.