ACTIVITY OF LENTINAN AGAINST CANCER AND AIDS

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

ACTIVITY OF LENTINAN AGAINST CANCER AND AIDS

Int J Immunotherapy; 5(4):203-13 1989. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/92668386
Kaneko Y; Chihara G; Taguchi T; Ajinomoto Co. Inc., 5-8 Kyobashi, 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104,; Japan

Abstract: Lentinan is a purified polysaccharide composed exclusively of glucose units with a beta(1----3) linkage as the main chain and a beta(1----6) linkage as the branched chain. Based on the results of animal experiments, the antitumor activity of lentinan is assumed to be due to potentiating the activity of the host defense mechanism. That is, the major effects include the augmented inductions of macrophage differentiation, cytotoxic T cells and NK cells. Clinically, the benefits of lentinan in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent have already been shown by a randomized comparative study of stomach cancer. The action of lentinan as a host defense potentiator (HDP) would be further clarified by combining it with the different lymphokines and monoclonal antibodies that are now available for practical use by recent advances in immunology and cell technology. In future studies, lentinan could be used in investigating the relationship between the host and diseases, including cancer. The action of an HDP could be also important in investigating the relationship between the host and the infection; this would be helpful in clinical and preclinical studies of AIDS. Through these different types of study, lentinan might provide us with an opportunity to clarify the mysterious network of relationships between the host defense mechanism and diseases. (17 Refs)

Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/IMMUNOLOGY/*THERAPY *Adjuvants, Immunologic Animal Antibodies, Monoclonal/THERAPEUTIC USE Cell Division/DRUG EFFECTS Combined Modality Therapy Dose-Response Relationship, Drug Human HIV/DRUG EFFECTS Interleukin-2/THERAPEUTIC USE Lentinan/*THERAPEUTIC USE Macrophages/DRUG EFFECTS Mice Neoplasms/IMMUNOLOGY/*THERAPY T-Lymphocytes/DRUG EFFECTS Virus Replication/DRUG EFFECTS JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW
921230
M92C5385

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