Lactoferrin for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by synovial hyperplasia that can lead to cartilage and bone erosion and is associated with decreased life expectancy and quality of life. In the last decade, various RA management strategies has been revolutionized which has led to discovery of specific treatments targeted against cytokines. Despite all available therapeutic approaches, only 20% of patients have reached remission and still many questions related to pathogenesis of RA are unanswered. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop some novel antirheumatic therapies for RA treatment. Lactoferrin (Lf) is a ubiquitous protein which belongs to transferrin family and its concentration can significantly increased at the sites of inflammation. Recent reports have suggested that it may have anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory effects within the rheumatoid joint. Lf has shown to have therapeutic potential in mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) after intra-articular injection. This study focusses on anti-inflammatory effects of lactoferrin for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis, lactoferrin, collagen-induced arthritis, cytokines

Cite this Article

Gargi Rajvanshi, Ritika Gupta. Lactoferrin for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Research & Reviews: Journal of Dairy Science and Technology. 2019; 8(1): 6–9p.