transferrin

American

[trans-fer-in] / trænsˈfɛr ɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

a plasma glycoprotein that transports dietary iron to the liver, spleen, and bone marrow.

transferrin British

/ trænsˈfɜːrɪn /

noun

Also called: beta globulin. siderophilin. biochem any of a group of blood glycoproteins that transport iron

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of transferrin

1947; trans- + Latin ferr ( um ) iron + -in ²

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

transferrin

Roche’s anti-amyloid antibody trontinemab has a fragment that mimics the natural iron-shuttling molecule known as transferrin.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

These technologies use “skeleton keys” like transferrin to deliver drugs, potentially yielding billions in sales and improving treatment.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

To test the AAVs in animals, the researchers used mice in which the mouse gene that encodes the transferrin receptor was replaced with its human equivalent.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2024

The AAV binds to the human transferrin receptor, which is highly expressed in the blood-brain barrier in humans.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2024

Specific transferrin receptors on red blood cell surfaces bind the iron-transferrin molecules, and the cell endocytoses the receptor-ligand complexes.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023