Transfer Factor: an Overlooked Potential for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (AIDS/cancer/candidiasis/cell-mediatedimmunity/flu/fungal/herpes/HIV /immunodeficiencies/ infections/leishmaniasis/mycobacterial/parasitic/transferfactor/tuberculosis/vaccines/varicella/ virus)

Transfer factor (TF) is a low-molecular- weight lymphocyte extract capable of transferring antigen-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to T lymphocytes. It has been used successfully as an adjuvant or primary therapy for viral, parasitic, fungal, and some bacterial infections, as well as im- munodeficiencies, neoplasias, allergies and autoim- mune diseases. From the list of infections that seem to respond noticeably to transfer factor, those due to viruses of the herpes family are particularly remark- able. Indeed, for these viruses it was shown that TF can prevent infection or relapse, acting as a CMI vaccine. Data also suggest its possible use for adju- vant treatment and probably prevention of two cur- rently widespread infections: tuberculosis and AIDS. Furthermore, TF has an interesting potential: an- swering the challenge from unknown pathogenic agents, a black box effect permitting production of antigen-specific TF to a new pathogen, even before its identification. It thus seems that the preventative