•Beta-glucan responds to tumor cells by stimulating the
production of small protein substances within the
phagocytic cells called cytokines.
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Cytokines stimulate the macrophages to inhibit tumor cell replication
(cytostatic action) and kill the tumor (cytolytic action).
•Because of beta-glucan’s demonstrated ability to activate
macrophages and T-cells, researchers have used it as an
anti-cancer treatment by itself, or as a non-toxic adjuvant to
chemotherapy.
•
In studies of animals injected with tumor cells, researchers
found that animals that were also treated with beta-glucan
had decreased liver metastases compared with controlanimals.
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The beta-glucan-treated mice had a 28 percent increase in survival
compared to those without beta-glucan.
•Although most research on beta-glucan has been done with
animals, there have been a number of human studies.
–
In 1975, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported on the
anti-cancer effects of beta-glucan on nine cancer patients, who
suffered from skin, breast, or lung cancer.
–
Beta-glucan was injected directly into the tumors. In all cases, beta-
glucan reduced the size of the tumor within five days, resulting from
infiltration of immune cells into the cancerous area with subsequent
destruction of the cancer cells.
•A number of clinical studies have been conducted in Japan
with lentinan (a beta-1,3-1,6-glucan derived from the
shiitake mushroom).
–
Lentinan is considered a drug in Japan, where it is approved for
clinical use.
–
Japanese scientists have shown that treatment of advanced-cancer
patients with lentinan, by intravenous injection, results in increased
number and activity of immune killer cells and prolonged survival —
sometimes in excess of five or more years.
–
According to researchers at the National Cancer Center in Japan,
complete tumor elimination was experienced in about 80% of
cancer-induced animals fed extracts from maitake, shiitake, and
reishi mushrooms.
•Compounds of each of these mushrooms increased the
tumor-fighting activity of NK cells [natural killer cells of the
immune system] and improve antibody responses, but
maitake seems to have the strongest and most consistent
effect. … Unlike other mushroom extracts, the maitake
extract shows strong anticancer activity even when
administered orally.” (Diamond)