Breast milk is now being used to fight cancer after scientists accidentally discovered that it contains a substance that kills tumour cells.
Trials in patients with bladder cancer have already produced promising results and researchers believe that the compound breast milk contains – which has been nicknamed “Hamlet” – will also help tackle bowel cancer and cervical cancer.
They say it homes in on cancer cells while it leaves healthy cells unharmed – so it has none of the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy.
Professor Catharina Svanborg, who made the initial discovery, said ‘There’s something magical about Hamlet’s ability to target tumour cells and kill them.’
Svanborg said that human breast milk contained a protein called alpha-lactalbumin, which is transformed into a cancer-fighting agent when in the gut.
Svanborg, who’s an immunologist at Lund University in Sweden, made the chance discovery that the substance kills tumour cells while working on antibiotics.