Marco Lombardozzi
During the Sars Cov-2 virus pandemic period, there was a lot of talk about Lactoferrin. I myself, as a doctor, learned about it during that period, even though it has been studied for a long time.
In this winter period, in which viruses and bacteria, as we know, become more active, I think it is useful to review some knowledge on the subject, also because there are now various products based on lactoferrin that can be used effectively.
Lactoferrin is an iron-binding cationic glycoprotein that is part of the transferrin family. The presence of receptors for Lactoferrin on the membranes of various cell populations of the Immune System such as lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages and platelets confirms the role of this glycoprotein as a mediator of immune defense.
According to some studies, in fact, Lactoferrin is able to promote the differentiation of helper T lymphocytes (Thl response) and the differentiation of immature B lymphocytes.
The anti-infective activity of Lactoferrin is mainly related to its affinity for Fe3+.
Iron is essential for all biological processes, but an excess of it favors the progression of viral growth (because iron is essential for the replication of viruses). Lactoferrin binds to specific membrane receptors on the cell and, once inside, helps reduce intracellular iron concentrations favored by high levels of IL-6 (as observed in the cytokine storm), counteracting viral replication and diffusion.
It has also been observed that Lactoferrin is able to effectively reduce the expression of IL-6, in a dose-dependent manner, acting directly at the nuclear level on the gene transcription of this cytokine.
Unconjugated Lactoferrin (apoLactoferrin) is able to bind to various glycoproteins present on bacteria and viruses. For example, it is known that Lactoferrin is able to counteract some species of gram-negative bacteria by binding to LPS (lipopolysaccharides) present on the cell membrane of the pathogen.
Lactoferrin prevents the entry into host cells of several types of viruses such as Herpes simplex, Human Papillomavirus (CHPV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Rotavirus and also Sars-Cov2. These viruses use membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) as the first contact and anchoring sites on the surface of the host cell. It has been shown that lactoferrin is able to prevent the entry into the cell of viral particles by binding to HSPGs.
Lactoferrin-based remedies come in various formulations.
The most practical is the one in capsules, with a dosage indicated as 350 mg/day.
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