Research presented recently at the International Conference of the Society for Research on Human Milk and Lactation in Australia, asserts that breast milk contains stem cells.   Researchers have cultured cells from breast milk and discovered nestin, a stem cell marker.  They have also found a population of stem cells with the potential to differentiate into multiple cell types, similar to embryonic stem cells.

Stem cells are defined as "cells that have two special properties: the ability to renew itself by dividing into exact copies, and potency: the ability to divide itself into cells that will form specific cell functions".  These important cells serve as a repair system for the body.  As scientists continue to harvest these stem cells there is increasing potential in research treatments for Parkinson's disease, cancer, spinal injuries, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases.