Tag Archives: chemotherapy

CORIOLUS MUSHROOM: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings – WebMD

Coriolus mushroom is a fungus. People have used the fruiting body and other parts as folk medicine for a long time. Recently, researchers have started to isolate and identify substances in coriolus that might act like pharmaceutical drugs. Two of these substances are polysaccharide peptide (PSP) and polysaccharide krestin (PSK). Scientists think these chemicals might be able to fight cancer and boost the immune system. Coriolus mushroom, PSP, and PSK are used for stimulating the immune system; treating herpes, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), hepatitis, and pulmonary disorders; reducing phlegm; improving bodybuilding results; increasing energy; curing ringworm and a skin condition called impetigo; treating upper respiratory, urinary, and digestive tract infections; curing liver disorders including hepatitis; reducing the toxic effects and pain of chemotherapy and radiation therapy; increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy; prolonging life and raising the quality of life of cancer patients; and increasing appetite.

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Clinical trial China phase 2

Polysaccharide-peptide (PSP) is a protein bound polysaccharide isolated from the COV-1 strain of Yunzhi (Coriolous versicolor mushroom) and made from modern alcohol extraction techniques. Each capsule contains 0.34 grams of PSP. Experimental in-vitro and in-vivo studies have shown PSP inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells including P338 leukemia cells, S 180 cells, Ehrlich ascites, and stomach and lung cancer cells. It also inhibits the growth of some tumors such as the lymphatic tumor of human skin tissue cells. In addition, PSP affects the immune system of mice by stimulating the production of ?\interferons, increasing the phagocytic index and metabolic rate of the reticuloendothilial system and by raising the HC 50 (median hemolytic dose), IgG and PFC (plaque forming cell) values. Human in-vivo experiments have also shown PSP can modulate the immune system by helping to prevent and partly eliminate the side effects of radiation and chemotherapeutic agents used by cancer patients.

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Randomized adjuvant trial to evaluate the addition of tamoxifen and PSK to chemotherapy in patients with primary breast cancer. 5-Year results from the Nishi-Nippon Group of the Adjuvant Chemoendocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Organization.

Display Settings: Abstract

Cancer. 1992 Nov 15;70(10):2475-83.

Toi M, Hattori T, Akagi M, Inokuchi K, Orita K, Sugimachi K, Dohi K, Nomura Y, Monden Y, Hamada Y, et al.

Department of Surgery, Hiroshima University, Japan.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A randomized adjuvant trial was conducted from October 1982 to January 1985 to evaluate the addition

of tamoxifen (TAM) to combination chemotherapy with perioperative mitomycin C (MMC) and ftorafur (FT) for patients with

estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors and the addition of PSK, a biologic response modifier, to MMC+FT chemotherapy

for patients with ER-negative tumors in operable Stage IIA, IIB, and IIIA cancer. The doses used were 20 mg of oral TAM

daily, 600 mg of oral FT daily, and 3 g of oral PSK daily for 2 years. Intravenous MMC (13 mg/m2) was given on the day

of operation. METHODS: A total of 967 patients were entered and randomized by stratification based on ER status and

staging (1978 International Union Against Cancer [UICC] criteria at the time of trial execution). Of 967 patients, 914

(94.5%) were evaluable. At 5-year follow-up, significant prolonged overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS)

times were seen with the addition of TAM in patients with ER-positive and Stage IIIA T3N0 cancer (1987 UICC-American

Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] criteria); however, no significant survival benefit from TAM was seen in patients with

ER-positive and Stage IIA T2N1 cancer. There was no significant difference between regimens, with or without PSK, in

patients with ER-negative disease. RESULTS: Results of subset analyses suggested a benefit from TAM in

postmenopausal patients with ER-positive and Stage IIA T2N1 cancer and a benefit from PSK in patients with

node-negative, ER-negative, and Stage IIA T2N1 cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year results of the current trial showed a

survival advantage by the addition of TAM to chemotherapy in patients with ER-positive and Stage IIIA T3N0 cancer.

PMID: 1423177 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

U.S. National Library of Medicine

National Institutes of Health

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances

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Randomized adjuvant trial to evaluate the addition of tamoxifen and PSK to chemotherapy in patients with primary breast cancer. 5-Year results from the Nishi-Nippon Group of the Adjuvant Chemoendocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Organization.

Display Settings: Abstract

Cancer. 1992 Nov 15;70(10):2475-83.

Toi M, Hattori T, Akagi M, Inokuchi K, Orita K, Sugimachi K, Dohi K, Nomura Y, Monden Y, Hamada Y, et al.

Department of Surgery, Hiroshima University, Japan.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A randomized adjuvant trial was conducted from October 1982 to January 1985 to evaluate the addition

of tamoxifen (TAM) to combination chemotherapy with perioperative mitomycin C (MMC) and ftorafur (FT) for patients with

estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors and the addition of PSK, a biologic response modifier, to MMC+FT chemotherapy

for patients with ER-negative tumors in operable Stage IIA, IIB, and IIIA cancer. The doses used were 20 mg of oral TAM

daily, 600 mg of oral FT daily, and 3 g of oral PSK daily for 2 years. Intravenous MMC (13 mg/m2) was given on the day

of operation.

METHODS: A total of 967 patients were entered and randomized by stratification based on ER status and

staging (1978 International Union Against Cancer [UICC] criteria at the time of trial execution). Of 967 patients, 914

(94.5%) were evaluable. At 5-year follow-up, significant prolonged overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS)

times were seen with the addition of TAM in patients with ER-positive and Stage IIIA T3N0 cancer (1987 UICC-American

Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] criteria); however, no significant survival benefit from TAM was seen in patients with

ER-positive and Stage IIA T2N1 cancer. There was no significant difference between regimens, with or without PSK, in

patients with ER-negative disease.

RESULTS: Results of subset analyses suggested a benefit from TAM in

postmenopausal patients with ER-positive and Stage IIA T2N1 cancer and a benefit from PSK in patients with

node-negative, ER-negative, and Stage IIA T2N1 cancer.

CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year results of the current trial showed a

survival advantage by the addition of TAM to chemotherapy in patients with ER-positive and Stage IIIA T3N0 cancer.

PMID: 1423177 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed

U.S. National Library of Medicine

National Institutes of Health

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances

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Clinical Experience in the Use of PSP

W.C. Xue and T.F. Liu Cancer Hospital, Shanghai Medical University

There is no really effective treatment for moderate and advanced stages of esophageal carcinoma. Although surgery for the earlier cases has been able to give a 5 years survival rate of 28.7%, such operable cases are relatively few. By far the greater majority are already in stage III to IV when first seen in the clinic, and radiotherapy alone in these cases has given a 5 years survival rate of only 8-14%. In order to improve treatment results, a variety of chemotherapeutic agents have been used in combination surgery, but so far no really effective drug has been found.

The drug PSP (polysaccharide-peptide of Coriolus versicolor) has been discovered and produced by Professor Qing-yao Yang of. It is a new anti-cancer and immuno-regulatory drug, similar to PSK (Krestin) but the effective component has been found to be larger than PSK. Experimental data has proved these properties of PSP, and in vitro as well as in vivo studies have all proved that PSP is superior to PSK. Of course, as is the case with all new drugs, the ultimate proof of its value will have to be shown by clinical application.


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Immunomodulatory activities of Yunzhi and Danshen in post-treatment breast cancer patients.

CK Wong, YX Bao, EL Wong, PC Leung, KP Fung, CW Lam.

Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, PR. China.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Discomfort and fatigue are usually arisen from anticancer therapy such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or combination therapy, because of the suppressed immunological functions. Yunzhi (Coriolus versicolor) can modulate various immunological functions in vitro, in vivo, and in human clinical trials. Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) has been shown to benefit the circulatory system by its vasodilating and anti-dementia activity. The purpose of this clinical trial was to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of Yunzhi-Danshen capsules in post-treatment breast cancer patients. Eighty-two patients with breast cancer were recruited to take Yunzhi [50 mg/kg body weight, 100% polysaccharopeptide (PSP)] and Danshen (20 mg/kg body weight) capsules every day for a total of 6 months. EDTA blood samples were collected every 2 months for the investigation of immunological functions. Flow cytometry was used to assess the percentages and absolute counts of human lymphocyte subsets in whole blood. Plasma level of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results showed that the absolute counts of T-helper lymphocytes (CD4+), the ratio of T-helper (CD4+)/T suppressor and cytotoxic lymphocytes (CD8+), and the percentage and the absolute counts of B-lymphocytes were significantly elevated in patients with breast cancer after taking Yunzhi-Danshen capsules, while plasma slL-2R concentration was significantly decreased (all p < 0.05). Therefore, the regular oral consumption of Yunzhi-Danshen capsules could be beneficial for promoting immunological function in post-treatment of breast cancer patients.

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Postoperative PSK and OK-432 immunochemotherapy for patients with gastric cancer.

Maehara Y, Inutsuka S, Takeuchi H, Baba H, Kusumoto H, Sugimachi K.

Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan.

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of chemotherapy given postoperatively with and without immunomodulators on the survival of patients who had undergone resection for gastric cancer. We conducted a retrospective survey of data on 963 Japanese patients treated at our department of surgery between 1965 and 1987. Data related to the duration of postoperative survival were calculated for those who received chemotherapy, i.e. an individualized combination of various agents given with or without the immunomodulators PSK, a protein extract of the fungus Coriolus versicolor, and/or OK-432, a preparation of an attenuated strain of Streptococcus (immunochemotherapy). Postoperative immunochemotherapy was more often prescribed for patients with advanced disease. The survival of patients who received immunochemotherapy was shorter than that of patients who received only chemotherapy. In a subgroup of patients adjusted for disease stage, the survival of those on chemotherapy versus immunochemotherapy did not differ significantly at any stage. For optimal results, a protocol for postoperative immunochemotherapy needs to be designed and investigated prospectively and according to the stage of gastric cancer. The stage III gastric cancers seem amenable to a favorable response.

PMID: 8261578 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8261578

Polysaccharopeptides of Coriolus versicolor: physiological activity, uses, and production.

Cui J, Chisti Y.

Institute of Technology and Engineering PN456, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, 5320, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Abstract

The protein-bound polysaccharides or polysaccharopeptides produced by Coriolus versicolor are effective immunopotentiators, which are used to supplement the chemotherapy and radiotherapy of cancers and various infectious diseases. Antitumor activity of polysaccharopeptides has been documented. Several kinds of protein-bound polysaccharides have been shown to be produced by the white rot fungus, C. versicolor. Although some of these polymers are structurally distinct, they are not distinguishable in terms of their physiological activity. This review focuses on the physiologically active polysaccharopeptides of C. versicolor. In nature, C. versicolor occurs as a mushroom body, but the fungus can be grown as mycelial biomass in submerged culture in bioreactors. Mushrooms gathered in the wild, cultivated mushrooms, and the mycelial biomass of submerged culture are used to produce the polysaccharopeptides. Submerged cultures are typically carried out in batches lasting 5-7 days and at 25-27 degrees C. Hot water extraction of the biomass is used to recover the thermostable polysaccharopeptides that are concentrated, purified, and dried into a powder for medicinal use. In view of the documented physiological benefits of these compounds, extensive research is underway on the structure, composition, production methods, and use of new C. versicolor strains for producing the therapeutic biopolymers. Properties, physiological activity, recovery, and purification of the bioactive polysaccharopeptides are discussed.

PMID: 14499133 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14499133