lactoferrin
Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein that supports innate immune defense, antimicrobial activity, and immune homeostasis[1][2]. Mechanistically, lactoferrin links iron sequestration with host-cell signaling, and studies describe effects on antigen-presenting cells, cytokine balance, and LPS-responsive inflammatory pathways[2][3][4]. In epithelial and macrophage inflammatory models, lactoferrin attenuates LPS-stimulated inflammatory responses and barrier impairment through NF-κB, MAPK, and Nrf2 pathway modulation[3][4]. In cancer models, bovine or recombinant human lactoferrin induces cell-cycle arrest, disrupts cytoskeletal organization, inhibits mTOR signaling, or promotes apoptosis in selected breast cancer cells[5][6]. Compared with related lactoferrin-derived peptides, intact lactoferrin provides the broader iron-binding and immune-modulatory scaffold, whereas lactoferricin and lactoferrampin are N-terminal antimicrobial peptides with antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities[7][8]. For experimental applications, lactoferrin-derived peptide chimeras show stronger membrane-perturbing antimicrobial activity than individual peptides, making them useful tools for structure-activity and membrane-interaction studies[8].
References:
- [1]. Kell DB, et al. The Biology of Lactoferrin, an Iron-Binding Protein That Can Help Defend Against Viruses and Bacteria. Front Immunol. 2020 May 28;11:1221. [Content Brief]
- [2]. Actor JK, et al. Lactoferrin as a natural immune modulator. Curr Pharm Des. 2009;15(17):1956-73. [Content Brief]
- [3]. Hu P, et al. Lactoferrin attenuates lipopolysaccharide-stimulated inflammatory responses and barrier impairment through the modulation of NF-κB/MAPK/Nrf2 pathways in IPEC-J2 cells. Food Funct. 2020 Oct 21;11(10):8516-8526. [Content Brief]
- [4]. Håversen L, et al. Lactoferrin down-regulates the LPS-induced cytokine production in monocytic cells via NF-kappa B. Cell Immunol. 2002 Dec;220(2):83-95. [Content Brief]
- [5]. Itoh T, et al. A synthesized nostocionone derivative potentiates programmed cell death in human T-cell leukemia Jurkat cells through mitochondria via the release of endonuclease G. Nutr Cancer. 2014;66(8):1414-23. [Content Brief]
- [6]. Iglesias-Figueroa BF, et al. Recombinant human lactoferrin induces apoptosis, disruption of F-actin structure and cell cycle arrest with selective cytotoxicity on human triple negative breast cancer cells. Apoptosis. 2019 Aug;24(7-8):562-577. [Content Brief]
- [7]. Yin C, et al. Recent studies on the antimicrobial peptides lactoferricin and lactoferrampin. Curr Mol Med. 2014;14(9):1139-54. [Content Brief]
- [8]. Haney EF, et al. Structural and biophysical characterization of an antimicrobial peptide chimera comprised of lactoferricin and lactoferrampin. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012 Mar;1818(3):762-75. [Content Brief]
