%0 Journal Article %A Ohno, Naohito %A Nameda, Sachiko %A Harada, Toshie %A Miura, Noriko N. %A Adachi, Yoshiyuki %A Nakajima, Mitsuhiro %A Yoshida, Kenshi %A Yoshida, Hitoji %A Yadomae, Toshiro %D 2003 %I Begell House %N 4 %P 10 %R 10.1615/InterJMedicMush.v5.i4.30 %T Immunomodulating Activity of a b-Glucan Preparation, SCG, Extracted from a Culinary–Medicinal Mushroom, Sparassis crispa Wulf.:Fr. (Aphyllophoromycetideae), and Application to Cancer Patients %U https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/708ae68d64b17c52,40f85691198060b9,7ffffdce600cdd6d.html %V 5 %X Sparassis crispa (SC) is culinary–medicinal mushroom recently cultivated in Japan, China, Germany, and the US. We purified a 6-branched 1.3-b-D-glucan preparation designated as SCG. SCG increased the number of leukocytes and enhanced the activity of leukocytes from various points of view, mainly analyzed in experimental animals. In the present study, the cytokine capacity of SCG was examined in healthy volunteers in vitro, and the following characteristics were studied: SCG enhanced cytokine synthesis of whole blood cell culture dose dependently. A complement fragment, C5a, was released by SCG dependently upon dose. And anti-SCG natural antibody was detected in human plasma. From these facts, SCG has the capacity to activate human leukocytes and related immune systems. In a clinical trial, powder of SC (300 mg/day) was given orally to several cancer patients (lung, stomach, colon, breast, ovarian, uterine, prostate, pancreas, liver) after one course of treatment of lymphocyte transfer immunotherapy and follow-up for several months. Performance status of 14 cases were monitored and 9 cases were improved as CR (4), PR (5), and NC (5). These facts strongly suggest that Sparassis crispa is a good source for cancer immunotherapy. %8 2003-12-01