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Research on donkey milk · Study 35
Donkey milk in a mouse tumour model
In 2024, Zhang et al. examined how donkey milk affects tumour growth, cell death signals and the balance of the immune system in a breast tumour model in mice.
What it's about
Basic research in an animal model
In the 4T1 model, tumour cells are implanted into mice and then grow into a tumour. Researchers use the model to study how substances influence tumour tissue, organs and the immune system in the animal.
A research team from China gave mice in this model donkey milk and then examined tumour size, organ tissue, cell death signals and immune system messengers.
The study is basic research. It says nothing about any use in humans.
What exactly was studied?
Briefly explained
The terms used in this study
A mouse tumour cell line used as a standard model in basic research.
Orderly, programmed cell death. The proteins Bax and Bcl-2 act as opponents in this process.
A form of cell death accompanied by an inflammatory reaction.
Groups of T helper cells whose balance helps determine the direction of an immune response.
A 4T1 tumour was established in mice.
One group received donkey milk, comparison groups did not.
Tumour, spleen, liver and lungs were examined.
Cell death proteins, messengers and signalling pathways were measured.
Interactive · The data at a glance
One model, five views
How was the experiment designed, which cell death signals changed, how did the immune balance shift – and what was found in the organs? Switch between the views.
Illustration of the findings reported in the abstract of the original publication. Dose, group sizes and measured values are not given there; the graphics are schematic.
Key findings
What the researchers report
Smaller tumours in the model
volume · weight · organsAccording to the authors, tumour volume and weight were lower in the mice given donkey milk. Tissue changes in the spleen, liver and lungs were also less pronounced.
Bax up, Bcl-2 down
apoptosis · pyroptosisIn the tumour tissue, the protein Bax and markers of pyroptosis rose while Bcl-2 fell – a pattern that indicates increased programmed cell death.
Shift towards Th1
Th1 ↑ · Th2 and Treg ↓In tumour and spleen, the balance of messengers shifted towards Th1, while Th2 and Treg messengers decreased. Several JAK-STAT signals changed.
The findings describe processes in an animal model. They cannot be transferred to humans and do not allow any statement about the prevention or treatment of cancer.
Critical assessment
Basic research – nothing more
What the study shows
What it does not show
Research question for DON DONKEY’S®
Which components interact with the immune system?
The study describes changes in immune messengers without assigning them to individual components. For us, this is a prompt to document the known proteins in our milk more precisely.
Original publication
Donkey milk inhibits tumor growth by inducing apoptosis, pyroptosis and modulation of Th1/Th2 responses in a 4T1 murine breast cancer model
Zhang Q., Sun W., Zheng M., Wang Q., Liu G., Li L., Zhang R., Zhang N.
Journal of Functional Foods · 2024 · 118:106256
DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2024.106256
Abstract: DOAJ
The publication describes an animal experiment. It does not allow any product-related statement for DON DONKEY’S® or any statement about cancer in humans.