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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Preclinical projects are testing transferrin receptor vehicles for delivering amyloid antibodies, and a variety of treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

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

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

When EPO stimulates the production of erythrocytes, iron is released from storage, bound to transferrin, and carried to the red marrow where it attaches to erythrocyte precursors.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

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