ArticleFrontiers in immunology2020
The Biology of Lactoferrin, an Iron-Binding Protein That Can Help Defend Against Viruses and Bacteria.
Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06232642 (The Effects of Lactoferrin and Iron-enriched Whey on Iron Status of Active Collegiate Females), which is not on this map. Cited by 235 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effects of Lactoferrin and Iron-enriched Whey on Iron Status of Active Collegiate Females
Who cites it
235 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Advances in Molecular Research of Tracheobronchial Tree Aging: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Pooled it
- The immunomodulatory effects of lactoferrin and its derived peptides on NF-κB signaling pathway: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of Breast Milk Oral Care on Mechanically Ventilated Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2022Pooled it
- Bovine Lactoferrin Compared With Ferrous sulfate for Treating Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Bangladeshi Women-A Randomized Controlled Trial.The Journal of nutrition · 2026Trial
- Efficacy of lactoferrin in preventing recurrent urinary tract infections in pregnant Egyptian women: a randomized controlled trial.BMC urology · 2025Trial
- Influence of bovine lactoferrin on feeding intolerance and intestinal permeability in preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of pediatrics · 2024Trial
- The Prospect of Lactoferrin Use as Adjunctive Agent in Management of SARS-CoV-2 Patients: A Randomized Pilot Study.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2021Trial
- Article
- Toward Rational Design of Precision-Fermented Milk Proteins: Integrating Cross-Species Selection, Post-Translational Modification, and AI Optimization.Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety · 2026Review
- Lactoferrin and Nanotechnology: New Insights Into Glioblastoma Therapy.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2026Review
- Article
- Lactoferrin reduces febrile neutropenia in children receiving chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.Haematologica · 2026Article
- Parenteral iron-Does it increase infection risk?Vox sanguinis · 2026Review
- Iron and the lung: emerging roles of iron metabolism in pulmonary disease pathogenesis and therapy.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026Review
- Review
- Mapping galectin-3 ligands in human tear fluid establishes spliceoform-dependent lacritin binding.Communications biology · 2026Article
- The Protective and Regenerative Potential of Lactoferrin in Hair and Skin Health.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Breastfeeding among contemporary Australian populations and 2025 national targets: a scoping review of current data and implications for policy and practice.International breastfeeding journal · 2026Article
- XBB 1.5 monovalent booster vaccination stimulates oral mucosal and systemic immune responses in healthy adults.Vaccine · 2026Article
- Improving Iron Status Without Iron: Clinical Insights From Recombinant Human Lactoferrin Supplementation.Cureus · 2026Article
175 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Lactoferrin is a nutrient classically found in mammalian milk. It binds iron and is transferred via a variety of receptors into and between cells, serum, bile, and cerebrospinal fluid. It has important immunological properties, and is both antibacterial and antiviral. In particular, there is evidence that it can bind to at least some of the receptors used by coronaviruses and thereby block their entry. Of importance are Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPGs) and the host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), as based on other activities lactoferrin might prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from attaching to the host cells. Lactoferrin (and more specifically enteric-coated LF because of increased bioavailability) may consequently be of preventive and therapeutic value during the present COVID-19 pandemic.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.