title: The application of fungal β-glucans for the treatment of colon cancer.
abstract: Mushrooms have been consumed for their health benefits for thousands of years in China, and the main active component was recently identified as beta-glucan. The immune-stimulating effect of beta-glucans has been well studied, and several beta-glucan receptors have been identified on the surface of immune cells. In addition, mushroom extracts with high levels of beta-glucans have also been shown to have direct cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, and beta-glucans are used for the treatment of cancer. This review summarizes the use of beta-glucans in colon cancer. Evidence has supported the idea that beta-glucans can decrease the size of xenografted colon cancer tumors via the stimulation of the immune system and direct cytotoxicity. Beta-glucans can also have synergistic effects with chemotherapeutic agents and other immune stimulators, and an innovative strategy is to use beta-glucans to deliver nanoparticles containing chemotherapeutic agents to the site of the colon cancer and, thus, improve the therapeutic efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. j.chen4@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Jiezhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xu Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhengyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000363:Agaricales; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D047071:beta-Glucans