Lactoferrin, the Moonlighting Protein of Innate Immunity

Dear Colleagues,

Lactoferrin (Lf), a natural glycoprotein of the innate immunity, is becoming more and more attractive for researchers from different fields due to its multiple functions and applications. Beyond its initially discovered antimicrobial effects, Lf is currently recognised as a potent multi-targeting nutraceutical, endowed with immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. Of note, Lf shows a wide range of tolerability, being classified as a “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) substance by the USA Food and Drug Administration. At mechanistic level, some of the functions exerted by Lf have been related to both its iron-binding ability and its highly cationic charge. However, most of its biological effects still need to be fully appreciated and unveiled. Moreover, Lf is recently emerging as a powerful carrier for the delivery of biologically active nanoparticles.

This Special Issue is focused on investigating new structural and functional properties of Lf from different species, including bovine Lf, which has mostly been applied in in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies. Areas to be covered may include but are not limited to the relation between molecular structure and function, interaction with other proteins, regulation of intracellular pathways, development of new technologies aimed to improve its bioavailability, applications as scaffold for nanoparticle delivery. Original papers and review articles on these and related topics are welcome.

Dr. Maria Carmela Bonaccorsi Di Patti
Prof. Antimo Cutone
Prof. Giovanni Musci
Guest Editors

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