NEW GOAL
MILK-ACT reaches its first goal. And now, we’re aiming even higher!
A heartfelt thank you to all the donors who supported us and helped us reach our first fundraising goal. Your contribution is making it possible to launch MILK-ACT and has given us an important confirmation: there is a community that believes in our research and wants to help it grow.
But we are not stopping here: scientific curiosity always pushes us to look one step further, turning every result into a new challenge.
With the next phase of the campaign, we aim to raise an additional €10,000 to expand the activities planned within the project. Every new donation will help us address new scientific questions.
In particular:
- we will investigate whether the bioactive molecules present in human milk, once digested, can be absorbed by the intestine and therefore contribute to protecting the infant beyond the gastrointestinal tract;
- we will extend our antiviral testing to two additional enteroviruses of pediatric interest, Enterovirus A71 and Echovirus 11, to understand whether the natural defense mechanisms of human milk may provide broader protection against viruses that pose a threat to children’s health.
Every additional euro will help us take MILK-ACT beyond its first goal, turning new questions into new results for the benefit of the youngest.
Thank you to everyone who has already supported us and to those who will choose to continue doing so.
MILK-ACT continues!
New viruses are constantly emerging, and some primarily affect children. One of these is Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), a virus identified by the WHO as a research priority. Through MILK-ACT, we aim to study human milk to decode its antiviral properties against this pathogen. We are a team of virologists, neonatologists and biochemists from the University of Turin and the Italian National Research Council (CNR). Over the years, we have built a research network dedicated to studying the antiviral properties of human milk. Your donations will fund antiviral testing on donated human milk samples, simulations of neonatal digestion and advanced analyses to identify antiviral molecules. The project will last 12 months, and its findings will provide new insights into the mechanisms that protect infants and the benefits of breastfeeding. We want to act now, and to do so we also need the community's support: every contribution will help us turn this idea into innovative results.
In recent years, we have learned how quickly emerging viruses can become a global challenge. One of these is Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), an emerging respiratory virus identified by the World Health Organization as a priority for international research. EV-D68 primarily affects children, causing respiratory infections that can, in some cases, develop into severe disease and neurological complications. There are currently no specific preventive measures or treatments for this virus. It is therefore essential to gain a better understanding of the natural defence mechanisms that protect infants from their very first months of life. MILK-ACT was born to answer these questions.
Our goal
We want to investigate whether human milk can help fight EV-D68 infection through its natural antiviral properties. Human milk is more than nourishment: it contains hundreds of bioactive molecules that help protect newborns. For years, our research has explored how these components interact with viruses. With MILK-ACT, we aim to launch a new line of research to analyse the antiviral properties of human milk against EV-D68, understand how this protective activity changes during neonatal digestion and identify the molecules andABE Associazione Bambino Emopatico peptides responsible for its action.
The findings will provide new scientific evidence on the protective role of human milk.
MILK-ACT will begin only if we reach our fundraising target: every donation will directly help unlocking the resources needed to make the entire project possible.
How we will turn donations into research
The research will unfold in several stages. We will begin by collecting samples of colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk from 10 donor mothers, together with the clinical data needed to understand the differences between the samples.
We will then assess, in our virology laboratory, the ability of human milk to counteract EV-D68 through antiviral tests on cell cultures. Because human milk is naturally digested by the infant, we will simulate the digestive process in the laboratory to determine whether its antiviral activity is maintained, reduced or even enhanced after digestion.
Finally, we will analyse the milk, before and after digestion, using advanced molecular techniques to identify the molecules and peptides responsible for its antiviral activity.
How we will use the funds raised
Our initial fundraising target is €8,000. Once this target is reached, the University of Turin will match the funding, allowing us to carry out a project worth a total of €16,000.
Donations will fund four main activities:
- Collection of human milk samples and clinical data - €1,000
- Antiviral testing on human cell cultures - €7,000
- Simulation of neonatal digestion and testing of digested milk - €6,000
- Advanced molecular analyses - €2,000
What if we raise more?
Reaching our target will be only the first step. If your support takes us beyond our fundraising goal, we will be able to expand the project and address new scientific questions.
- We will investigate whether the bioactive molecules in human milk, once digested, can be absorbed by the intestine and help protect infants beyond the gastrointestinal tract.
- We will extend our antiviral tests to other enteroviruses of paediatric relevance, to determine whether the natural defence mechanisms in human milk can offer broader protection against viruses that threaten children's health.
Every additional euro raised will allow us to expand the research and generate new knowledge.
Why your help matters
Scientific research requires time, costly resources (such as those described above) and teamwork. We believe that projects like this should also be made possible through community involvement. Supporting MILK-ACT means making a tangible contribution to new scientific knowledge about emerging viruses and the natural mechanisms that protect newborns. Every donation, no matter how small, helps turn a scientific idea into a real project.
Because protecting our youngest from the viruses of tomorrow begins with today's research!
Project timeline
The project will run for approximately 12 months:
- first 3 months: collection of samples and clinical data;
- months 4-10: antiviral testing and digestion simulations;
- months 10-12: advanced molecular analyses, interpretation of results and planning of follow-up studies.
Preliminary findings will be shared with the scientific community and with everyone who has helped support the project.
You are not simply supporting research: you are helping to get it started! Help us reach our goal!
Who we are
We are a large interdisciplinary group of virologists, neonatologists and biochemists from the University of Turin and the Italian National Research Council (CNR). We have worked together for decades to study the antiviral properties of human milk, combining clinical and experimental expertise with a shared goal: protecting children's health through scientific research.
Today, some of us are serving as spokespeople for this fundraising campaign on behalf of the entire research group: Dr. Rachele Francese and Dr. Irene Arduino for the Virology Group, Dr. Simona Bavaro for the Biochemistry Group, and Dr. Giulia Maiocco for the Neonatology Group.
Our entire team
Rewards
€15 - Personalised certificate of support for MILK-ACT research
You will receive a personalised thank-you email from the MILK-ACT team and an official certificate recognising you as a MILK-ACT project supporter.
€30 - Acknowledgement on the VIRMOLAB website
Your name will be officially listed among the supporters of the MILK-ACT project, with a public and permanent acknowledgement on a dedicated page of the VIRMOLAB website, the research infrastructure of the virology team.
€50 - MILK-ACT mini-guide
You will receive an informative brochure about our decade of research into the antiviral properties of human milk, its bioactive components and the role of pasteurisation in donor human milk banks. Your name will also be included on the permanent page dedicated to MILK-ACT supporters on the VIRMOLAB website.
€100 - Online Q&A with the MILK-ACT team
You will take part in an exclusive 30-minute online meeting with the MILK-ACT team, where you will meet the researchers and ask questions about emerging viruses, human milk and scientific research. Your name will also be included on the permanent page dedicated to MILK-ACT supporters on the VIRMOLAB website.
€200 - Laboratory tour
Would you like to discover what really happens behind the doors of a research laboratory? You will visit VIRMOLAB, the virology laboratory where MILK-ACT was created, either in person or on a virtual tour, to discover how we safely study viruses and human milk samples. Your name will also be included on the permanent page dedicated to MILK-ACT supporters on the VIRMOLAB website.
€500 - Personalised MILK-ACT updates
You will gain an inside view of the MILK-ACT project, receiving personalised progress updates every three months and joining the final online seminar with the MILK-ACT team, featuring in-depth insights and a preview of the results achieved. Your name will also be included on the permanent page dedicated to MILK-ACT supporters on the VIRMOLAB website.
€1,000 - Personalised acknowledgement in the scientific publication
You will become an integral part of the MILK-ACT project, and your name (or that of your company or family, if you prefer) will be included in the acknowledgements of the future scientific publication arising from the project and on the permanent page dedicated to MILK-ACT supporters on the VIRMOLAB website.
€5,000 - Major MILK-ACT Supporter
As a key supporter of the MILK-ACT project, you will receive a personalised acknowledgement in the future scientific publication and on the page dedicated to MILK-ACT supporters on the VIRMOLAB website; regular, detailed reports on the progress of the research; an online or in-person seminar with the research team at the end of the project; a private visit to the VIRMOLAB laboratory; and the opportunity to symbolically dedicate one stage of the project to a loved one or to the organisation providing support.
YOUR CHOICE - Choose your amount - surprise reward!
Every contribution can make a difference. Choose your own donation amount to support MILK-ACT, and you will receive a surprise reward created by our team.
