Glucans and proteoglycans in cancer treatment

[Guest guest]

Altern Med Rev 2000 Feb;5(l):4-27

 

The use of mushroom glucans and proteoglycans in cancer treatment.

 

Kidd PM

 

Immunoceuticals can be considered as substances having

immunotherapeutic efficacy when taken orally. More than 50 mushroom

species have yielded potential immunoceuticals that exhibit

anticancer activity in vitro or in animal models and of these, six

have been investigated in human cancers. All are non-toxic and very

well tolerated. Lentinan and schizophyllan have little oral

activity. Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) is poorly defined

but has shown early clinical promise. Maitake DFraction has limited

proof of clinical efficacy to date, but controlled research is

underway. Two proteoglycans from Coliolus versicolor - PSK

(Polysaccharide-K) and PSP (Polysaccharide-Peptide) have demonstrated

the most promise. In Japanese trials since 1970, PSK significantly

extended survival at five years or beyond in cancers of the stomach,

colon-rectum, esophagus, nasopharynx, and lung (non-small cell

types), and in a HLA B40-positive breast cancer subset. PSP was

subjected to Phase II and Phase III trials in China . In double-

blind trials, PSP significantly extended five-year survival in

esophageal cancer. PSP significantly improved quality of life,

provided substantial pain relief, and enhanced immune status in 70-97

percent of patients with cancers of the stomach, esophagus, lung,

ovary, and cervix. PSK and PSP boosted immune cell production,

ameliorated chemotherapy symptoms, and enhanced tumor infiltration by

dendritic and cytotoxic T-cells. Their extremely high tolerability,

proven benefits to survival and quality of life, and compatibility

with chemotherapy and radiation therapy makes them well suited for

cancer management regimens.