Uses and applications of lactoferrin in preclinical studies for successful bone regeneration process: A literature review

Abstract

Aim: To describe the different uses of lactoferrin for a possible implementation in dentistry. Materials and Methods: An electronic search was performed in the Scopus and PubMed databases between 1997 and 2021. The keywords included in the search were “lactoferrin”, “lactoferrin in vitro”, “osseointegration”, and “bone regeneration”. Only articles in which the osteogenic properties of lactoferrin in bone regeneration were related were selected for the present literature review. During the search, several articles were observed in this field that were included as pilot studies, retrospective cohort studies, and case–control studies that referred to the clinical process. Results: A total of 12 articles, comprising seven animal studies and five in vitro studies, were chosen for the results of this literature review. Of all the articles, eight were utilized in the introduction, of which six were excluded from the results. Conclusion: Based on the current limitations of this literature review, there is inadequate evidence to support the efficacy of lactoferrin in oral surgery. However, there is existing evidence of its potential effectiveness in bone regeneration in various fields.