摘要
Lactoferrin is an antimicrobial prote in characterized by the exertion of many protective functions,including antibacterial,antifungal,antiviral,and antiparasitic properties,as well as anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities(Kruzel et al.,2017).Lactoferrin is one of the major proteins present in exocrine secretions,including saliva,and is therefore associated with host defense against oral pathogens and control of the oral microbiome.In recent years,it has become clear that alterations in the oral microbiome may contribute to opportunistic pathogen infections in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease(AD)patients and thus participate in or contribute to the development of this neurodegenerative disease(Sureda et al.,2020).Pathogenic oral microbes can affect neurological processes by entering brain tissue through various pathways and directly damaging the central nervous system.In the central nervous system,oral microbes may trigger an immune response that increases amyloidβ(Aβ)production and may even trigger the Aβcascade to promote the onset of AD,as we discuss in our previous study supporting the“infectious hypothesis”in AD(González-Sánchez et al.,2020).
