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New Insights into Lactoferrin: 2nd Edition
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New Insights into Lactoferrin: 2nd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 1039

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Antimo Cutone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche, Italy
Interests: lactoferrin; iron homeostasis; iron-proteins; inflammation; oxidative stress; ferroportin; yeast; membrane proteins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Giovanni Musci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche, Italy
Interests: iron metabolism; ferroportin; ceruloplasmin; lactoferrin
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous Special Issue, entitled “New Insights into Lactoferrin” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms/special_issues/603A0C5W43).

Lactoferrin (Lf), a positively charged glycoprotein known for its iron-binding capacity, is produced by the exocrine glands and neutrophils. Due to its role in innate immunity, Lf exerts antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anticancer effects. The physicochemical characteristics of Lf can greatly impact its functionality, which can be influenced by species-specific and tissue-specific factors, as well as environmental conditions. Importantly, Lf could be utilized in the prevention and treatment of various pathological conditions, thus gaining recognition as a nutraceutical and as a carrier for the delivery of biologically active compounds.

This Special Issue is supervised by Dr. Antimo Cutone and Prof. Dr. Giovanni Musci, with assistance from our Topical Advisory Panel Member, Dr. Giusi Ianiro. It aims to provide a thorough overview of the biochemical, molecular and physiological aspects of Lf biology and its application in both healthy and those with pathologies. The scope of this Special Issue includes the structural and functional properties of Lf, its role in the prevention and treatment of disease, as well as the development of new biotechnologies that aim to enhance the production, bioavailability and functionality of Lf. We welcome the submission of original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Antimo Cutone
Prof. Dr. Giovanni Musci
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lactoferrin
  • lactoferrin structure
  • lactoferrin functions
  • infection
  • inflammation
  • iron homeostasis
  • oxidative stress
  • lactoferrin bioavailability

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1913 KB  
Article
Oral Administration of Bovine Lactoferrin Modulates the Effects of Chronic Stress on the Immune Response of the Lungs
by Mariazell Yépez-Ortega, Erick José Zárate-Ayón, Crhistian Axel Gutiérrez-Calvillo, Belen Mendoza-Arroyo, Maritza Velásquez-Torres, Judith Pacheco-Yépez, Diana Rodríguez-Vera, María de los Ángeles Gómez-Román, Uri Axel Garcia-Sanchez, Aldo Arturo Reséndiz-Albor and Ivonne Maciel Arciniega-Martínez
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(20), 10000; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262010000 (registering DOI) - 14 Oct 2025
Abstract
Stress is a predisposing factor for pulmonary diseases; however, its effects on the lungs of healthy individuals have not been fully elucidated. Since bovine lactoferrin (bLf) is a powerful immunomodulator, this study aimed to evaluate whether lactoferrin can modulate the effects of chronic [...] Read more.
Stress is a predisposing factor for pulmonary diseases; however, its effects on the lungs of healthy individuals have not been fully elucidated. Since bovine lactoferrin (bLf) is a powerful immunomodulator, this study aimed to evaluate whether lactoferrin can modulate the effects of chronic stress on humoral and cellular immunity in the lungs. We performed chronic restraint stress (RS) and oral administration of bLf in a BALB/c model, assessing serum corticosterone, body weight, and various lung immunity parameters, including immunoglobulin concentrations in serum and tracheobronchial lavages (TBLs), secretory IgA (S-IgA) levels in TBLs, IgA-secreting plasma cells, relative expression of pIgR, CD4+ lymphocyte Th1 and Th2 populations, and antigen-presenting cell (APC) populations in the lungs. Our results demonstrate that stress increases corticosterone and production of total IgA and IgG, while decreasing levels of IgM and S-IgA, promotes a Th1/Th2 profile imbalance, and decreases APC populations. Interestingly, bLf modulates serum corticosterone levels and stress-induced weight loss, and it also modulates humoral and cellular effects produced by chronic stress. These results demonstrate that bLf should be considered a new therapeutic target for further studies, focusing on prophylactic and co-therapeutic administration to treat and prevent respiratory diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Lactoferrin: 2nd Edition)
13 pages, 1321 KB  
Article
Lactoferrin and Thioredoxin in Rheumatoid Arthritis Are Associated with Fibrinogen but Not with Other Acute Phase Proteins
by Ginka Delcheva, Katya Stefanova, Pavel Selimov and Teodora Stankova
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(17), 8211; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26178211 - 24 Aug 2025
Viewed by 727
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common chronic autoimmune diseases which global prevalence is approximately 0.3–2%. Numerous studies provide evidence that the elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of RA. In response to redox [...] Read more.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common chronic autoimmune diseases which global prevalence is approximately 0.3–2%. Numerous studies provide evidence that the elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of RA. In response to redox imbalance, several intrinsic antioxidant defence mechanisms are activated to counteract oxidative stress and scavenge ROS. The aim of the present study is to analyse whether the levels of lactoferrin and thioredoxin, two proteins which are part of the antioxidant defence of the body, are associated with fibrinogen and other acute phase proteins such as CRP and ferritin in RA. Serum lactoferrin, thioredoxin, ferritin, and CRP levels were measured using ELISA. Significant positive correlations of lactoferrin and thioredoxin with fibrinogen were observed in RA patients, r = 0.394, p < 0.0001 and r = 0.410, p = 0.002, respectively. These positive correlations were also observed in females, r = 0.375, p < 0.0001 and r = 0.447, p = 0.001, in the subgroup of patients with DAS28 < 5.1, r = 0.689, p < 0.0001 and r = 0.604, p = 0.001 and in the subgroup of patients with normal CRP, r = 0.488, p < 0.0001 and r = 0.414, p = 0.005, respectively. These findings help clarify the pathogenetic interplay between oxidative stress, inflammation, and coagulation in RA and indicate the need for further studies to elucidate the potential of lactoferrin and thioredoxin as biomarkers that capture pathological disease changes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Lactoferrin: 2nd Edition)
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