β-(1,3)/(1,6) D-glucan, a component of the fungal cell wall, has been shown to stimulate the immune system, enhance hematopoiesis, amplify killing of opsonized tumor cells and increase neutrophil chemotaxis and adhesion. In view of these attributes, the β-glucans should be studied for both their therapeutic efficacy in patients with cancer as well as an adjunctive therapy in patients receiving chemotherapy as a maneuver to limit suppression of hematopoiesis.
In this study, twenty patients with advanced malignancies receiving chemotherapy were given a β-(1,3)/(1,6) D-glucan preparation (MacroForce plus IP6, ImmuDyne, Inc.) and monitored for tolerability and effect on hematopoiesis. Our results lead us to conclude that β-glucan is well-tolerated in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, may have a beneficial effect on hematopoiesis in these patients and should be studied further, especially in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma.
β-(1,3)/(1,6) D-glucan is a long chain polymer of glucose from the fungal cell wall which has been shown to have a number of immunomodulatory properties as well as effects on hematopoiesis and as a radiation protectant.
It has been well-demonstrated that the β-glucans increase neutrophil chemotaxis and adhesion, synergize with myeloid growth factors to enhance hematopoiesis and mobilize peripheral blood progenitor cells in vivo, directly stimulate committed myeloid progenitor cells and improve sur
This Phase I/II clinical trial evaluated the safety and preliminary efficacy of β-(1,3)/(1,6) D-glucan in cancer patients, representing early human clinical evidence for this immunomodulator.
β-(1,3)/(1,6) D-glucan stimulated immune function, enhanced hematopoiesis, and amplified anti-tumor killing activity in cancer patients. The compound was well-tolerated in the Phase I safety assessment, with dose-dependent immune activation observed. These findings provided early clinical validation for β-glucan as an oncology immune support agent.
This trial represents important clinical evidence that β-1,3/1,6-glucan — the same structural type produced by Aureobasidium pullulans — is safe and immunologically active in human cancer patients, supporting its potential as a complementary cancer care supplement.
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Weitberg, Alan B. A phase I/II trial of beta-(1,3)/(1,6) D-glucan in the treatment of patients with advanced malignancies receiving chemotherapy. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research. 2008. DOI: 10.1186/1756-9966-27-40.
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