LACTOFERRIN

What is lactoferrin?                                 

Lactoferrin is a mammalian protein found in milk, whether from an animal or human. It is also found in saliva. As an iron-binding protein, lactoferrin is used to balance iron levels in the body. While too little iron can lead to anemia, too much iron can be toxic, so lactoferrin helps keep the balance [^[1]]. When lactoferrin binds to iron, this reduces the iron’s bioavailability so that the body’s iron concentration remains balanced [^[2]].

What does lactoferrin do in the body?

Scientists have called lactoferrin a “miracle molecule” because it has many different properties. It is antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, and immunostimulatory and can regulate DNA activity [^[3]]. Lactoferrin can act defensively against microbes, and it also has antiviral activity, which it can perform in multiple ways, including binding to viruses or virus receptors. Lactoferrin’s antiviral activity extends to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19; lactoferrin can bind to the spike protein and cell surface components. Lactoferrin may also dampen the inflammatory cascade by directly acting upon inflammatory cascades and its actions related to iron levels [^[2]].

How can lactoferrin help alleviate certain Long COVID symptoms and pathophysiology? 

Lactoferrin can be helpful for patients with acute COVID-19 and patients with Long COVID [^[2]]. It can interact directly with the virus that causes COVID-19 to neutralize it. It can also inhibit inflammatory activity, characteristic of Long COVID [^[4]]. Lactoferrin can also degrade blood clots, activate growth factors to support the healthy function of the body’s tissues, and remove excess proteins that collect in the body. Human lactoferrin, from human tissues, is known to reduce the problem of coagulation that can be characteristic of patients who have experienced COVID-19 [^[4]].