The immunomodulatory nature of lactoferrin (LF) derives from its ability to bridge innate and adaptive immunity in obtaining physiological equilibrium. LF is an attractive molecule for treatment of diseases that compromise immune homeostasis. Oral delivery is a preferable method for LF administration; however, its bioavailability is affected by protein degradation and absorption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the systemic effects of oral and intravenous (IV) administered recombinant human LF (rhLF) on blood cell transcriptome profiling. Rats were administered with a single dose of rhLF by gavage or IV. The transcriptome profiles from control and rhLF-treated rats after 3h, 6h and 24h were analyzed by Clariom D microarray. The results showed differentially expressed genes in response to IV as well as oral administered rhLF including coding and noncoding RNAs. Moreover, a comparison of the differentially expressed genes between oral and IV after 6h revealed that a majority (72.8%) of altered genes in response to oral rhLF administration was common with IV treatment. The pathway profiles showed similarities in up-regulation of specific genes involved in oxidative stress and inflammatory responses for both routes of treatments. These findings provide evidence of the systemic signal transduction effects of orally administered rhLF.

(1) Background: The regenerative procedure has established a new approach to root canal therapy, to preserve the vital pulp of the tooth. This present review aimed to describe and sum up the different approaches to regenerative endodontic treatment conducted in the last 10 years; (2) Methods: A literature search was performed in the PubMed and Cochrane Library electronic databases, supplemented by a manual search. The search strategy included the following terms: “regenerative endodontic protocol”, “regenerative endodontic treatment”, and “regenerative endodontics” combined with “pulp revascularization”. Only studies on humans, published in the last 10 years and written in English were included; (3) Results: Three hundred and eighty-six potentially significant articles were identified. After exclusion of duplicates, and meticulous analysis, 36 case reports were selected; (4) Conclusions: The pulp revascularization procedure may bring a favorable outcome, however, the prognosis of regenerative endodontics (RET) is unpredictable. Permanent immature teeth showed greater potential for positive outcomes after the regenerative procedure. Further controlled clinical studies are required to fully understand the process of the dentin–pulp complex regeneration, and the predictability of the procedure.

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