García-Montoya Isui Abril, Cendón Tania Siqueiros, Arévalo-Gallegos Sigifredo, Rascón-Cruz Quintín
Laboratorio de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Circuito 1, Nuevo Campus Universitario, CP 31125, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012 Mar;1820(3):226-36. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2011.06.018. Epub 2011 Jun 25.
Lactoferrin (Lf) is an 80kDa iron-binding glycoprotein of the transferrin family. It is abundant in milk and in most biological fluids and is a cell-secreted molecule that bridges innate and adaptive immune function in mammals. Its protective effects range from anticancer, anti-inflammatory and immune modulator activities to antimicrobial activities against a large number of microorganisms. This wide range of activities is made possible by mechanisms of action involving not only the capacity of Lf to bind iron but also interactions of Lf with molecular and cellular components of both hosts and pathogens.
This review summarizes the activities of Lf, its regulation and potential applications.
The extensive uses of Lf in the treatment of various infectious diseases in animals and humans has been the driving force in Lf research however, a lot of work is required to obtain a better understanding of its activity.
The large potential applications of Lf have led scientists to develop this nutraceutical protein for use in feed, food and pharmaceutical applications. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Molecular Mechanisms of Iron Transport and Disorders.
乳铁蛋白（Lf）是转铁蛋白家族中一种80kDa的铁结合糖蛋白。它在牛奶和大多数生物体液中含量丰富，是一种细胞分泌分子，在哺乳动物中连接先天性免疫和适应性免疫功能。其保护作用范围从抗癌、抗炎和免疫调节活性到针对大量微生物的抗菌活性。这种广泛的活性是通过多种作用机制实现的，这些机制不仅涉及Lf结合铁的能力，还包括Lf与宿主和病原体的分子及细胞成分的相互作用。
本综述总结了Lf的活性、其调节及潜在应用。
Lf在动物和人类各种传染病治疗中的广泛应用一直是Lf研究的驱动力，然而，要更好地理解其活性仍需要大量工作。
Lf的巨大潜在应用促使科学家开发这种营养蛋白用于饲料、食品和制药应用。本文是名为“铁运输与疾病的分子机制”的特刊的一部分。
