{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:29:22Z","timestamp":1760146162464,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,28]],"date-time":"2024-09-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1727481600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: Milk production during lactation places a high demand for calcium that is fulfilled both from maternal bone resorption and diet. While it is known that mammary gland-derived PTHrP drives bone resorption during lactation, the impact of postpartum estrogen loss on bone has been unclear. Methods: We used a case-control study design to test the effect of estrogen loss in lactating mice. Results: In the present study, we show for the first time that estrogen loss during lactation activates memory T-cells (TM) to produce TNF\u03b1 and IL-17A to aid in bone resorption and calcium release. Our studies reveal a new mechanism for the release of calcium from bone postpartum. The findings provide several new insights. First, the immune system plays a critical role in milk production postpartum. Second, evolutionarily, the pathway serves the physiological purpose of increasing bone resorption to release calcium for breastmilk production postpartum but becomes maladaptive postmenopause, leading to osteoporosis. Finally, these results highlight the crosstalk between the brain\u2013bone\u2013breast\u2013endocrine axis and the immune system during lactation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu16193289","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,30]],"date-time":"2024-09-30T04:57:28Z","timestamp":1727672248000},"page":"3289","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Memory T-Cells Contribute to Calcium Release from Bones during Lactation in Mice"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-3404-8750","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Di","family":"Wu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Cline-Smith","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Brady","family":"Chrisler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Brittani","family":"Lubeck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-5158-149X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ajit","family":"Perla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sumona","family":"Banerjee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ida","family":"Fan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rajeev","family":"Aurora","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1312","DOI":"10.1002\/jbmr.5650100907","article-title":"Changes in bone mineral density and markers of bone remodeling during lactation and postweaning in women consuming high amounts of calcium","volume":"10","author":"Cross","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. 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