Research at the University of Cambridge has found that breast milk cells, which were once thought to be dead or dying, are in fact alive and well.

And these live cells in human breast milk could help scientists discover breakthrough treatments for breast cancer.

The cells have given scientists clues about early indicators of the deadly disease, and will also help researchers understand how breast tissues change when women breastfeed.

Dr. Alecia-Jane Twigger, lead author of the new study said, "Breast tissue is dynamic, changing over time during puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and aging.

"These living cells provide researchers with insight into a potential early indicator of future breast cancer development."

For the study, the researchers collected milk samples from breastfeeding women and breast tissue from non-breastfeeding women.

Once they worked out the differences between the two types of cells, they learned that less than one-quarter cup (50ml), on average, contains hundreds of thousands of cells for researchers to study.

"The first time Alecia told me that she found live cells in milk I was surprised and excited about the possibilities," said Dr Walid Khaled, of the University's Stem Cell Institute, who was also involved in the study.

"We hope this finding will enable future studies into the early steps of breast cancer."

The research was published this week in the journal Nature Communications.

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