Nature's Premier Immune-Boosting Protein
Geoff Kwait, Ph.D.
Infants receive valuable assistance from
their mothers breast milk to combat infection and disease
during the critical neonatal period when their immune systems
are not yet fully functional. While breast milk contains a
myriad of biologically active molecules, one in particular, lactoferrin, has recently received extensive attention from
research scientists, health practitioners, and the general
Why all the interest? Well, to begin with, anecdotal evidence of
healing attributed to lactoferrin when taken as a nutritional
supplement is plentiful. Some accounts with respect to cancer,
immune deficiency and other afflictions are described as nothing
short of miraculous. From a more scientific perspective, basic
research on the molecular, cellular, and physiological
properties of lactoferrin has increased tremendously in the past
few years as the results of each new study generate further
interest and excitement. So great is the promise of this protein discovered over 30 years ago that research is being
encouraged by the National Institutes of Health. Here, I
describe biological characteristics and properties of lactoferrin as revealed in recent scientific studies and include
a sampling of the therapeutic miracles attributed to it.
The name lactoferrin is derived from its affinity to bind with
iron (lacto = milk; ferrin = iron). In fact, lactoferrin binds
iron over a hundredfold more strongly than transferrin, the
major iron transport protein in the body. The highest known
concentrations of lactoferrin are found in human colostrum, or
first milk, where levels measure as much as 7 grams/liter.
Mature human milk contains considerably less about 1
gram/liter. A similar pattern exists in bovine (cow) milk, but
the levels are not as high as in human milk. Lactoferrin is also
found in neutrophils (a type of leukocyte or white blood cell),
and, to a lesser extent, in the secretions of tear glands,
salivary glands and the prostate gland.
Lactoferrin is a protein molecule comprised of a single strand
of amino acids. For reasons not completely understood,
lactoferrin, compared to other proteins, is remarkably resistant
to degradation a trait that may prolong functional activity
following oral ingestion. The lactoferrin molecule is also
characterized by the existence of distinct functional domains.
For example, one region has ribonuclease activity, i.e., the
ability to break bonds within nucleic acid molecules such as
ribonucleic acid (RNA). Another region is responsible for
lactoferrin's iron-binding properties. Both the ribonuclease
activity and iron-binding capacities of lactoferrin have been
implicated in the antimicrobial effects of lactoferrin,
The locations of receptors for a biologically active substance
in different tissues often provide clues as to its actions, or
at least the site of its actions. Receptors to which lactoferrin
presumably binds in the course of its biological effects have
been found in intestinal tissues, in the brain, on the surface
of several types of white blood cells, on blood platelets, and
on certain bacteria. Evidence described recently in the
scientific journal Nature, suggests that lactoferrin can bind to
regions of DNA in the cell nucleus and directly influence the
activity of genes that code for the cell's proteins.
Role In Immune System
A strong case can be made for lactoferrins central role in the
immune system. The biological actions of lactoferrin under
various experimental conditions are wide-ranging and include:
inhibition of the survival or growth of many different
pathogenic organisms; activation or stimulation of a variety of
immune system cells; regulation of normal cell growth; and
inhibition of abnormal tumor growth and spread of cancer cells
in laboratory animals.
Physiological concentrations of lactoferrin are capable of
killing or inhibiting the growth of a wide spectrum of
infectious organisms including bacteria, viruses, parasites and
fungi. One mechanism probably involved in at least some of the
anti-microbial effects of lactoferrin is that, by strongly
binding iron, lactoferrin deprives foreign organisms of
essential iron. Interestingly, friendly bacteria, i.e., those
that have beneficial effects in the gastrointestinal tract (e.g.
Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bifidus and
Lactobacillus G.G., may be resistant to such effects by virtue
of the fact that they are less dependent on exogenous sources of
iron. Other proposed mechanisms for lactoferrin's antimicrobial
actions relate to the ability of lactoferrin to interfere with
the carbohydrate metabolism of invading organisms or
lactoferrin's ribonuclease activity, which may interfere with
the organism's ability to synthesize RNA essential for microbial
protein synthesis. Fortunately, lactoferrin does not appear to
adversely interfere with these processes in the human host's
Examples of specific bacteria inhibited by lactoferrin include:
Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae,
and Helicobacter pylori, all of which are capable of causing
serious illness. Helicobacter pylori has recently been
identified as a primary culprit in the development of stomach
ulcers. While many studies have involved observations of
lactoferrin's effects on microbial growth in a laboratory dish
or test tube, recent research in Japan has demonstrated that,
when administered orally to mice, bovine-derived lactoferrin
causes a marked reduction in the proliferation of intestinal
bacteria, including several strains of the pathogenic bacterium,
Clostridium. Furthermore, when administered to laboratory
animals, lactoferrin also decreases the number of bacteria that
translocate, or pass through, the cell lining of the intestines.
Translocation of bacteria through the intestinal epithelium is a
means by which bacteria can gain access to the blood and
lymphatic system, and, if they are not checked by the body's
immune system, infections and illness ensue.
Potent antiviral effects have been described for lactoferrin.
Human cytomegalovirus, human herpes simplex virus-1, and human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS) all
have been inhibited by lactoferrin in laboratory experiments.
Viral infections are believed to be involved in the etiology of
certain types of leukemia. In an experimental model in which
mice are infected with a virus that produces conditions similar
to leukemia, mice given lactoferrin fared significantly better
than control mice in terms of the degree of illness.
Antifungual and Antiparasite
As mentioned previously, lactoferrin also inhibits several
species of fungi and certain parasites. Fungi inhibited by
lactoferrin include Candida albicans, the form of yeast normally
present to some extent in all individuals, but responsible for
'yeast infections,' or aggressive fungal overgrowth. The
mechanism by which lactoferrin inhibits some parasites may be
via stimulation of the process of phagocytosis, whereby immune
cells engulf and digest foreign organisms.
Lactoferrin present in gland secretions may serve an
antimicrobial function. Saliva, for example, aids in the
prevention of dental cavities by virtue of antibacterial
properties attributed to lactoferrin and antimicrobial enzymes
like lysozyme and peroxidase. Insufficient amounts of
lactoferrin in some secretions also appear to correlate with
certain health problems. Low concentrations of lactoferrin
present in lacrimal secretions of some patients with acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) may contribute to ocular dry
syndrome, a condition characterized by eye tissue deterioration
and insufficient tear secretion.
Lactoferrin affects the proliferation, maturation and activation
of several types of immune cells. Evidence suggests lactoferrin
regulates the maturation and activation of neutrophils and
macrophages, the immune cells primarily responsible for
phagocytosis. Neutrophils secrete lactoferrin during
inflammation. Lactoferrin also affects, in a number of ways, the
maturation and function of lymphocytes, another major class of
immune cells that includes cells responsible for antibody
secretion and cells that directly attack foreign organisms. One
notable study demonstrated that lactoferrin prevents fatal
cytomegalovirus infections in mice.8 It does this by augmenting
the action of lymphocytes called natural killer T-cells that
attack and destroy the viruses. Without lactoferrin, test mice
succumbed to the viral infection.
At the biochemical level, lactoferrin appears to modulate immune
function through chemical www.ors called cytokines. Cytokines
belong to a broad class of molecules that www.e interactions
between various cells in the body. Cytokines that specifically
www.e interactions between white blood cells, or leukocytes, are
called interleukins. Recent lactoferrin research has focused on
the ability of lactoferrin to regulate release or actions of
interleukins and other cytokines.
Maternal Immune Suppression
An appealing theory on lactoferrin and immune function has been
put forth (see ref. 3) that relates to the natural immune
suppression that occurs in women during pregnancy. Immune
suppression at this time is believed to help avoid maternal
rejection of the fetus. According to this theory, increased
lactoferrin production in the mother at the time of birth may be
a major factor in restoration of maternal immune function and at
help to prevent infection in the newborn via breast milk.
Unfortunately, the natural immune suppression that occurs during
pregnancy may manifest itself abnormally at other times the
consequence being immune deficiency and disease (e.g. AIDS).
Reasoning follows that, if lactoferrin is an essential immune
system regulatory protein, as evidence suggests, then
deficiencies in production of lactoferrin during both childhood
and adulthood alike could be responsible for various health
problems associated with a dysfunctional immune system.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that lactoferrin is beneficial in
some AIDS cases.
With respect to cancer, lactoferrin has been shown to inhibit
the growth of some solid tumors and inhibit experimental
metastasis, or spread of cancer cells, in laboratory mice.
Research conducted in Japan studied the effects of
bovine-derived lactoferrin in mice that were inoculated with
cancer-like cells intended as a model for either skin cancer or
leukemia. The cancer cells used in these experiments are known
to be highly metastatic, i.e., they easily spread from a solid
tumor site to invade other organs and tissues. When lactoferrin
was administered just after tumor formation, the growth of tumor
cells was suppressed and the spread of the cancer cells to the
lungs and liver was significantly less than in control animals
that did not receive lactoferrin.
Several possibilities have been described for how lactoferrin
carries out its anticancer effects. Japanese researchers have
speculated that lactoferrin's iron-binding capacity may be
involved in the anticancer mechanism. Others think lactoferrin
acts directly on the cancer cells themselves, as suggested by
demonstrations that human lactoferrin binds to cell receptors on
the surface of certain cancer cells. Still other evidence
suggests that lactoferrin acts indirectly through stimulation of
the killer T-lymphocytes which then attack the cancer cells.
Finally, lactoferrin also appears to suppress tumor-induced
angiogenesis, or blood vessel formation. Consequently, such
suppression deprives the tumor of nutrients needed to sustain
In vitro and animal experiments strongly support the argument
that lactoferrin is part of an ongoing defense against tumors.
But does it act similarly in humans? The actions of lactoferrin
in humans are based largely on anecdotal evidence, i.e., reports
that have not been documented according to scientific standards.
Nevertheless, anecdotal accounts of results following
lactoferrin administration to humans with serious illnesses,
under the supervision of health practitioners, suggest that
lactoferrin may be responsible for significant improvements in
human health. In one example, a seriously ill patient with lung
cancer was given lactoferrin by her prominent New York City
physician, who specializes in treating the terminally ill.
Despite the poor prognosis, this woman experienced a startling
revitalization within weeks of first taking lactoferrin,
resulting in weight gain and increased muscle strength.
Another remarkable turnaround following the addition of
lactoferrin as a dietary supplement involves Gerry H. McAnulty,
who suffered from scleroderma, a poorly understood and severely
disabling fibrotic disease of the skin and internal organs. I
talked to Ms. McAnulty prior to writing this article, and the
change in her condition that she attributes, in part, to
lactoferrin could easily be described by the spiritually
unchallenged as a miracle. She feels she would not be alive
today were it not for lactoferrin. Her renewed vigor has
inspired her to become actively involved in women's health
Numerous other dramatic effects of lactoferrin taken as a
nutritional supplement have been described. I recently was
informed of a case in which an individual suffering from
impotence was able to achieve an erection for the first time in
years after taking lactoferrin! The problem, of course, with
interpreting these testimonials is that it is difficult, if not
impossible, to determine what precisely was responsible for the
dramatic recovery or effect. A combination of treatments,
psychological factors, or interactions between therapeutic
agents could be responsible. Or the events that transpire may be
a natural course of the illness or condition.
Lactoferrin is an exciting new supplement that may contribute to
an increased likelihood of a positive outcome when used to
support the body's recovery from disease. Lactoferrin appears to
be safe and, in fact, is presently being considered for addition
to infant formulas to more closely equate to breast milk.
Lactoferrin's overwhelming margin of safety, along with a
rapidly accumulating body of clinical data and anecdotal
accounts of its effects when taken by humans, suggests
significant benefit when lactoferrin is used as a nutritional
supplement in a wide range of infectious and life-threatening
Geoff Kwiat, Ph.D. is a science writer, biomedical research
consultant and educator at University of California, Berkeley.
coordinating the human cellular immune response Up-Regulating
Reduces Viral Load in Hep-C Patients
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