Polysaccharide from Lentinus edodes for Integrative Cancer Treatment: Immunomodulatory Effects on Lymphocyte Population

Authors: A. Del Buono, M. Bonucci, S. Pugliese, A. D’Orta, M. Fioranelli

Journal: World Cancer Research Journal

Study Design: Uncontrolled clinical trial.

Participants: 7 subjects with adenocarcinoma diagnosis (pancreatic, lung, colorectal)

Intervention: The participants received AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound), a nutritional supplement derived from shiitake mushroom mycelia, at a dosage of 3 g/day for one month.

Outcome Measures:

• Changes in lymphocyte populations and their relationships, including CD3/CD4, CD3/CD8, CD4/CD8, CD3+/CD16+/CD56 Natural Killer (NK) cells, and CD8/CD3.

Summary: The study investigated the immunomodulatory effects of AHCC on lymphocyte populations in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The results showed that after one month of AHCC treatment, there were changes in various lymphocyte populations, including an increase in neutrophils and a decrease in lymphocytes and monocytes. The CD4/CD8 ratio, which is often low in cancer patients, increased after AHCC treatment. Additionally, there was an increase in NK cells, which play a crucial role in the direct destruction of cancer cells. The study concluded that AHCC may have immunomodulatory effects in cancer patients, particularly on innate immunity, and warrants further investigation.