Lactoferrin-induced myeloid-derived suppressor cell therapy attenuates pathologic inflammatory conditions in newborn mice

Fighting infant infections with myeloid-derived suppressor cells

“…Intriguingly, the present study also shows that treatment with LF-induced MDSCs is more effective has also been shown to stimulate maturation of dendritic cells and to recruit various subsets of leukocytes (14,15). In line with their previous findings that LF can promote accumulation of MDSCs in newborns (7), in the current study, Liu et al report that the amount of LF in serum is strongly correlated with the frequency of PMN-MDSCs in neonates (11). Moreover, they demonstrate that neutrophils and monocytes from mouse and human (both full term and preterm) neonates can be converted by LF to potent immunosuppressive MDSCs through stimulation of NF-κB.…”

“…The authors next tested the therapeutic potential of these cells in a mouse model of NEC. They found that adoptive transfer of LF-induced MDSCs significantly decreased bacterial load in recipient mice, prolonging their survival (11). Moreover, LF-MDSCs demonstrated potent antiinflammatory properties in other experimental models of inflammation observed in adults, such as autoimmune lung inflammation, colitis, and hepatitis.…”

“…In this issue of the JCI, a study by Liu and colleagues provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of MDSC accumulation in newborns and brings a different perspective on the role of these cells in the protection of newborns from pathological inflammatory processes (11). The study addresses the paradoxical finding that such a powerful immunosuppressive cell population could exert a strong antibacterial activity.…”

“…To resolve this paradox, the authors hypothesized that MDSCs than in adults, allowing the generation of MDSCs from preterm neonate myeloid cells upon exposure to LF. Interestingly, upregulating LRP2 rendered adult myeloid cells sensitive to MDSC conversion by LF treatment (11).…”

Influence of Maternal Milk on the Neonatal Intestinal Microbiome

“…Lactoferrin induces macrophage activation to aid in the phagocytosis of gram-positive bacteria [92]. Lactoferrin also increased the activity of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs) in both infants and mouse models, thus preventing experimental necrotizing enterocolitis in mice [96,97]. Indeed, the supplementation of lactoferrin to enteral feeds may provide protection against late-onset sepsis and NEC in preterm infants [98].…”