transfer factor

transfer factor

n.

1. The transfer gene of a conjugative plasmid, especially of the resistance plasmid.

2. A substance free of nucleic acid and antibody, that is obtained from the white blood cells of a person with a delayed-type sensitivity and will transfer the specific sensitivity to the recipient after injection into the skin of a nonsensitive person.

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transfer factor (TF),

a leukocyte extract that transfers delayed hypersensitivity from one person to another. Transfer factor has been studied for its possible use in the treatment of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and as a means of transferring antitumor immunity to patients with various types of cancer.

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transfer factor,

n a natural protein that is used to treat bacterial and viral diseases postulated to transfer im-munity from one cell to another, thereby boosting immune function.

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transfer factor

a factor extractable from sensitized lymphocytes of some species that has the capacity to transfer delayed hypersensitivity to a normal (nonreactive) individual; abbreviated TF. It confers cell-mediated immunity and therefore has been found to be useful in treating conditions in which there is a disorder of immune response. As an adjunct to antibiotic therapy it has been used in the treatment of such antibiotic-resistant diseases as candidiasis and coccidioidomycosis.