Lactoferrin, a potential multifunctional glycoprotein that is widely found in milk from
mammals and other mucosal secretions, has attracted a lot of interest in biomedical research.
The goal of this review is to present a thorough summary of lactoferrin's biological uses,
including its function in immunomodulation, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory
qualities, and potential future applications in cancer treatment. Studies upon lactoferrin
potential in biomedicine were searched from PubMed, Google scholar databases between
2010-2023 and studied. A total of 30 articles emphasizing the chemical and biological
properties of lactoferrin were examined. The anticancer effect of lactoferrin has also been
studied in different cell lines. Because of its well-established immunomodulatory properties, it
has strengthen both innate and adaptive immune responses, lactoferrin is a viable option for
enhancing immune system performance and fending off infections.Furthermore, by controlling
immune cell activation, reducing inflammatory signalling pathways, and modifying cytokine
production, lactoferrin demonstrates anti-inflammatory qualities that point to its potential use
as a treatment for inflammatory diseases such sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis etc. Lactoferrin's
anticancer potential has also been revealed by recent studies, which clarify how it might prevent
the growth of cancer cells, trigger apoptosis, stifle angiogenesis, and improve the effectiveness
of traditional cancer treatments. This research works done on various cell lines like Hs578T,MDA-MB-231, T47D, MCF-10-2A etc, were searched and studied. Despite the enormous
biological potential of lactoferrin, more investigation is required to clarify its modes of action,
maximize its therapeutic uses, and confirm its clinical efficacy.
Keywords: Lactoferrin, Glycoprotein, Anti-cancer activity, Antimicrobial, Anti-
inflammatory
Publication date: 01/10/2025
https://ijbpas.com/pdf/2025/October/MS_IJBPAS_2025_9461.pdf
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https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2025/14.10.9461
