Utility of Lactoferrin as a Preventive Agent for Healthcare Workers Exposed to COVID-19
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2020-11-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
COVID 19, which probably started from zoonotic transmission related to crowded markets in
China was announced as a pandemic by the WHO on 11 March 2020.
There is currently no clinically proven specific antiviral agents available for SARS-CoV-2
infection. Supportive treatment, including oxygen therapy, fluid management, and
broad-spectrum antibiotics to cover secondary bacterial infection, remains the most important
management strategy.
Since its discovery, lactoferrin and its related peptides are considered non-specific host
defense molecules against a broad range of viruses including SARS-CoV, which is closely
related to SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. Besides reducing viral entry, lactoferrin can
also suppress virus replication after the viral entry and has an immunomodulatory effect that
can prevent the cytokine storm associated with COVID-19.
The aim of our study is to assess the safety and efficacy of lactoferrin within the context
of SARS-CoV-2 and propose the possibility of supplemental lactoferrin as a potential
preventive drug for healthcare workers exposed to SARS-CoV-2.