As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to claim lives around the world, dairy scientists may have a surprising role to play.
In a new study from the University of Michigan, researchers examined the antiviral properties of cow milk protein against variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the illness.
The protein in question is lactoferrin, found in the milk of most mammals.
Bovine lactoferrin, from cow milk, has bioactive characteristics against many microbes, viruses, and other pathogens and has been found to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection under experimental conditions.
They can block the ability of the virus to enter target cells and support cells’ antiviral defense mechanisms.
In the study, the team tested bovine lactoferrin against some of the most common SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern from around the world, including the WA1 variant representative of the United States outbreak in 2020, the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 variants, and the Delta variant.
They found that bovine lactoferrin was effective against all the strains that were tested in vitro, and they expect it would also have activity against additional emergent strains.
The other components in commercial milk products did not appear to offer antiviral protection, confirming that the efficacy of these products does appear to be entirely dependent on bovine lactoferrin.
Moreover, the team found that dextrose and sorbitol did not reduce bovine lactoferrin’s effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2—suggesting the feasibility of developing an anti-COVID pill.
A key benefit of the broad antiviral efficacy of lactoferrin is its potential for the prevention or treatment of emerging diseases.
This is especially important when there are limited treatment options, or when the treatment options are too costly for widespread use.
An orally available therapeutic that covers emerging strains would be ideal for treating SARS-CoV-2 in areas without widespread vaccination or if new strains escape the vaccine.
Although future work is needed to fully understand the antiviral potential for bovine lactoferrin in a clinical setting, this study represents a promise for another tactic in the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic.
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The study is published in the Journal of Dairy Science and was conducted by Jonathan Sexton et al.
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