title: Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides can induce human monocytic leukemia cells into dendritic cells with immuno-stimulatory function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies demonstrated Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GL-PS), a form of bioactive beta-glucan can stimulate the maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC). The question of how leukemic cells especially in monocytic lineage respond to GL-PS stimuli remains unclear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we used in vitro culture model with leukemic monocytic cell-lines THP-1 and U937 as monocytic effectors cells for proliferation responses and DCs induction. We treated the THP-1 and U937 cells with purified GL-PS (100 microg/mL) or GL-PS with GM-CSF/IL-4. GL-PS alone induced proliferative response on both THP-1 and U937 cells but only THP-1 transformed into typical DC morphology when stimulated with GL-PS plus GM-CSF/IL-4. The transformed THP-1 DCs had significant increase expression of HLA-DR, CD40, CD80 and CD86 though not as high as the extent of normal monocyte-derived DCs. They had similar antigen-uptake ability as the normal monocyte-derived DCs positive control. However, their potency in inducing allogeneic T cell proliferation was also less than that of normal monocyte-derived DCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggested that GL-PS could induce selected monocytic leukemic cell differentiation into DCs with immuno-stimulatory function. The possible clinical impact of using this commonly used medicinal mushroom in patients with monocytic leukemia (AML-M4 and M5) deserved further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China. wingkc@graduate.hku.hk
authors.forename: Wing Keung
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Christopher Ching Hang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Helen Ka Wai
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Yu Lung
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Godfrey Chi Fung
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D004705:Endocytosis; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020940:Reishi / Q000737:chemistry*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D011134:Polysaccharides; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor