Recombinant human lactoferrin is effective in the treatment of Helicobacter felis-infected mice

Recombinant human lactoferrin possesses in-vitro antibiotic and anti-inflammatory activity similar to the native form. It was tested for in-vivo activity in mice infected with the gastritis-inducing bacterium Helicobacter felis. A two-week course of treatment with lactoferrin was sufficient to partially reverse both infection-induced gastritis and the infection rate, and fully reverse gastric surface hydrophobicity changes. A comparison of lactoferrin with amoxicillin and standard triple therapy revealed no differences in infection rate. These results show that recombinant human lactoferrin is effective in a mouse model of Helicobacter infection, and support further testing of this promising agent for this application.