Lactoferrin obtained from transgenic goats perfect for babies and athletes

The lactoferrin produced as part of the Belarus-Russia joint project will be prescribed not only to babies who need breast milk substitutes, but also to athletes, head of the biochemistry sub-department of the Belarusian State University Igor Semak told a press conference on 5 February, BelTA has learnt.

The scientist explained that lactoferrin is a unique and multipurpose protein that can be found in milk and some other products. “This protein has a great biological potency; it is a natural antibiotic for its antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, and immunomodulatory properties. It also has anti-inflammatory functions. Therefore, this lactoferrin (the substance is obtained from the milk of transgenic goats) can be used in pharmaceutics, cosmetology, food industry and even sports,” Igor Semak said. However, the biggest value of lactoferrin is its ability to be a breast milk substitute for babies.

The global production of lactoferrin from cow milk is estimated at 60 tonnes per year, which is translated into $6 billion.

Director General of the Animal Breeding Research Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Nikolai Popkov noted that the breeding of transgenic goats during the Belarus-Russia joint program BelRosTransgen can be rightly called a scientific breakthrough. “We have not assessed the importance of our work yet, but the product we got – lactoferrin – can make a breakthrough in medicine. We and our Russian partners are the only ones who managed to get this product. This speaks volumes. What we have done can be compared to microsurgery.