Beta Glucan is the primary treatment for cancer in
Asia.
Beta Glucan and The Fight Against Cancer
Since the
first direct scientific study (in 1963) clearly demonstrating the
anti-tumor activity of beta-glucan, numerous animal as well as human
trials have shown remarkable anti-tumor activity against a wide range of
different tumors. In Japan, beta glucan is already licensed as an
immunostimulant effective in cancer treatment. Two types of hot water
extracts of beta glucan have successfully been used since the 1980s as
traditional medicine for cancer therapy in Japan and
China.
Cancer
cells are sneaky - they constantly attack our body and try to find a way
to either overcome the immune system, or to escape recognition and
subsequent destruction by our natural defense mechanisms. Various types
of immunocytes are constantly watching these developments, but their
resources are limited. Many problems such as stress, allergies,
pollutants, age, or any type of disease, can have negative effects on
the strength of our defensive reactions. Under normal conditions the
body is able to heal, but at times of extra stress, the natural line of
defense is often just not enough. When the immune system is compromised
in any way, the risk of the development of tumors also increases. The
immunocytes can use any help they can get, and this is the reason
immunomodulators like beta glucan are so
important.
The
positive effects of beta glucan in tumor therapy are multiple. One is
the direct positive stimulation of macrophages and natural killer (NK)
cells. Macrophages form the first line of defense and protect our body
against any type of invading cells - including cancer cells. NK cells
represent a special subtype of "bloodthirsty" lymphocytes,
with a single function - to specifically recognize and kill tumor cells.
Together, these cells form a defensive line guarding the integrity of
our body. Their job isn't easy, and considering the fact that they
perform this function without any breaks, it's easy to see how they can
become exhausted - and could use all the help they can get.
Beta
glucan binds to the surface of both macrophages and NK cells, interacts
with the surface molecules, and triggers the activation processes. The
result of this interaction is that the highly activated tumor killers
circulate in our body and actively seek their preferred targets - cancer
cells. Upon contact with these cancer cells they kill them in a specific
way, so the surrounding tissue and organs remains intact and unharmed.
Beta
glucan is able not only to stimulate the cells of the immune system to
perform optimally, it also "cares" about their numbers. All
cells involved in immune reactions originate from common precursors -
mostly from bone marrow. The influx of new cells from bone marrow is
steady, but limited, and here again, Beta glucan comes to the rescue. It
stimulates the production of precursor cells in bone marrow, resulting
in a more rapid flow of new immunocytes into the bloodstream and into
the various lymphoid organs throughout the body.
Despite
the fact that most tumors are recognized by the immune system, the
antibody response is usually only light - and often not strong enough to
destroy the cancer growth. Even a healthy immune system cannot
adequately deal with fast-growing cancer cells alone. The situation can
get serious very fast. Again, beta glucan comes to the rescue. It is
able to "cooperate" with antibodies. After tumor cells are
recognized as foreign, specific antibodies are formed, and subsequently
bind to the cancer cells. Following the binding of antibodies, C3
fragments of complement coat the cancer cells, and then the beta
glucan-primed cells - such as blood neutrophiles, macrophages, and
natural killer cells, specifically recognize these complement-antibody
complexes. Without the beta glucan-derived activation of cells, the
cancer cells remain coated, but no killing occurs.
These
events alone would be enough to consider beta glucan one of the most
significant anti-cancerous immunostimulants we know, but beta glucan has
still another ace up its sleeve. In addition to the specific priming of
cell surface receptors, beta glucan is able to create nonspecific
stimulation of the immune system via the release of biologically
important molecules. Upon entering the blood stream, beta glucan
activates various cells of the body to release numerous biological
factors, and signals molecules known to influence our defensive systems.
Among these factors are: tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukins 1 and
6, hydrogen peroxide, and interferon, all of which are proven effective
in our fight against cancers and other invading microorganisms. In
addition to the direct effects on tumor cells, the synthesis and release
of these signals has also a direct impact on macrophages and T
lymphocytes capable of producing other cytokines. In this nonspecific
way, beta glucan helps to boost defensive reactions by triggering the
whole complicated cascade of events leading to a fully armed immune
system.
Despite
great achievements and decades of intensive research, the incidence of
various tumors and cancers is still increasing rapidly. The National
Cancer Institute estimates that 1 in 5 humans in the U.S. are likely to
get cancer in their lifetimes. This qualifies as a bona-fide epidemic!
More and more people are living under stressful and relatively toxic
conditions, and the ability to boost immunity by easily obtained,
commercially available immunostimulants is extremely important.
Investigations of various beta-glucan's affecting immune reactions are
currently the focus of intensive preclinical and clinical investigation
on several parts of the globe. Based on the results available today we
can say that beta glucan is clearly one of the most important substances
available to us in the ongoing fight against cancer.
By Vaclav
Vetvicka, Ph.D. Associate Professor at the Department of Pathology,
Division of Experimental Immunology and Immunopathology of the School of
Medicine, University of Louisville
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