Lactoferrin as potential preventative and adjunct treatment for COVID-19
Review of the antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects of lactoferrin and the potential benefit for COVID-19.
Chang et al., 30 Sep 2020, peer-reviewed, 3 authors.
Contact:
timothychang@mednet.ucla.edu, mbutte@mednet.ucla.edu, bpasaniuc@mednet.ucla.edu.
Abstract: International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 56 (2020) 106118
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijantimicag
Lactoferrin as potential preventative and adjunct treatment for
COVID-19
Raymond Chang a,∗, Tzi Bun Ng b, Wei-Zen Sun a,c
a
Institute of East–West Medicine, 102 E 30th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
c
National Taiwan University Hospital, 7 Chung Shan S. Road., Taipei, Taiwan
b
a r t i c l e
Keywords:
Lactoferrin
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
Antiviral
Viral prophylaxis
i n f o
a b s t r a c t
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly advancing across the globe despite drastic public and personal health measures. Antivirals and nutritional supplements have been proposed as
potentially useful against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but few have been clinically established. Lactoferrin (Lf) is a naturally occurring, non-toxic glycoprotein that is orally available as a nutritional supplement and has established in
vitro antiviral efficacy against a wide range of viruses, including SARS-CoV, a closely related coronavirus
to SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, Lf possesses unique immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects that
may be especially relevant to the pathophysiology of severe COVID-19 cases. Here we review the underlying biological mechanisms of Lf as an antiviral and immune regulator, and propose its unique potential
as a preventative and adjunct treatment for COVID-19. We hope that further research and development
of Lf nutritional supplementation would establish its role for COVID-19.
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd and International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.
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