Transfer Factor (TF)

Transfer factors were originally described as immune molecules that are derived from blood or spleen cells that cause antigen-specific cell-mediated immunity, primarily delayed hypersensitivity and the production of lymphokines, as well as binding to the antigens themselves. Transfer factor has some promising findings as a target of immune research, but can only be considered an incompletely investigated field that has been essentially lost to history. A second use of the term transfer factor applies to a likely different entity derived from cow colostrum or chicken egg yolk which is marketed as an oral dietary supplement under the same name citing claims of benefit to the immune system. Despite a small modicum of successes,[9] transfer factor generated from human blood (human-derived), cow spleen (bovine-derived), or mouse spleen (murine derived) is not in routine clinical use today.