AUTHOR=Bartolomé Fernando , Rosa Luigi , Valenti Piera , Lopera Francisco , Hernández-Gallego Jesús , Cantero José Luis , Orive Gorka , Carro Eva 

TITLE=Lactoferrin as Immune-Enhancement Strategy for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.878201

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2022.878201

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) (COVID-19) causes severe acute respiratory syndrome. Severe illness of COVID-19 predominantly occurs in older people and individuals with pre-existing medical comorbidities. Recent evidence indicates that patients with dementia have increased risk for COVID-19 and that COVID-19 further exacerbates the vulnerability of older adults with cognitive impairment. Based on the importance of a “balanced” immune and inflammatory response able to control the infection, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drugs are promising therapeutic adjuvants for the treatment of COVID-19. Accumulating evidence suggests that lactoferrin (Lf) is active against SARS-CoV-2, likely due to its potent antiviral and anti-inflammatory actions that ultimately improves immune system responses. Remarkably, salivary Lf levels are significantly reduced in different Alzheimer's disease (AD) stages, which may reflect AD-related immunological disturbances, leading to reduced defense mechanisms against viral pathogens and an increase of the COVID-19 susceptibility. Overall, there is an urgent necessity to protect AD patients against COVID-19, decreasing the risk of viral infections. In this context, we propose bovine Lf (bLf) as a promising preventive therapeutic tool to minimize COVID-19 risk in patients with dementia or AD.