The purpose of this review is to present the currently published evidence regarding the use, efficacy, potential mechanisms of action, and results of published clinical trials regarding the use of a Lentinula edodes mushroom–derived extract (active hexose correlated compound) as complementary therapy in patients with cancer. The authors explore the current preclinical and clinical evidence as it relates to this topic and its potential use in the surgical oncology patient. There has been a growing interest in stimulation of the immune system in trauma, cancer, and surgical patients in general. Little, however, has been written about some-of the supplements in widely used in Japan and China, but relatively unheard of in the United States.
RitzBWNogusaSAckermanEAGardnerEMSupplementation with active hexose correlated compound increases the innate immune response of young mice to primary influenza infection. J Nutr. 2006;136:2868-2873.
2.
RitzBW. Supplementation with active hexose correlated compound increases survival following infectious challenge in mice. Nutr Rev. 2008;66:526-531.
3.
MiuraTKitadateKNishiokaHWakameK. Basic and clinical studies on active hexose correlated compound. In: BagchiDLauFCGhoshDK, eds. Biotechnology in Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. New York, NY: CRC Press; 2010:51-60.
4.
DaddaouaAMartinez-PlataELopez-PosadasR. Active hexose correlated compound acts as a prebiotic and is antiinflammatory in rats with hapten-induced colitis. J Nutr. 2007;137:1222-1228.
5.
MachCMFugiiHWakameKSmithJ. Evaluation of active hexose correlated compound hepatic metabolism and potential for drug interactions with chemotherapy agents. J Soc Integr Oncol. 2008;6:105-109.
6.
SpieringsELFujiiHSunBWalsheT. A phase I study of the safety of the nutritional supplements, active hexose correlated compound, AHCC, in healthy volunteers. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2007;53:536-539.
7.
KiddPM. The use of mushroom glucans and proteoglycans in cancer treatment. Altern Med Rev. 2000;5:4-27.
8.
MatsushitaKKuramitsuYOhiroY. Combination therapy of active hexose correlated compound plus UFT significantly reduces the metastasis of rat mammary adenocarcinoma. Anticancer Drugs. 1998;9:343-350.
SunBWakameKSatoE. The effect of active hexose correlated compound in modulating cytosine arabinoside-induced hair loss, and 6-mercaptopurine- and methotrexate-induced liver injury in rodents. Cancer Epidemiol. 2009;33:293-299.
11.
HiroseASatoEFujiiH. The influence of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) on cisplatin-evoked chemotherapeutic and side effects in tumor-bearing mice. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2007;222:152-158.
12.
GaoYZhangDSunB. Active hexose correlated compound enhances tumor surveillance through regulating both innate and adaptive immune responses. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2006;55:1258-1266.
13.
GhoneumMWimbleyMSalemFMcklainAAttallahNGillG. Immunomodulatory and anticancer effects of active hemicellulose compound (AHCC). Int J Immunother. 1995;11:23-28.
14.
MatsuiYUharaJSatoiS. Improved prognosis of postoperative hepatocellular carcinoma patients when treated with functional foods: a prospective cohort study. J Hepatol. 2002;37:78-86.
15.
CowawintaweewatSManoromanaSSriplungH. Prognostic improvement of patients with advanced liver cancer after active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) treatment. Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol. 2006;24:33-45.
16.
TurnerJChaudharyU. Dramatic prostate-specific antigen response with activated hemicellulose compound in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Anticancer Drugs. 2009;20:215-216.
17.
UnoKKosunaKSunB. Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) improves immunological parameters and performance status of patients with solid tumors. Biotherapy. (Japan) 2000;14:303-309.
18.
WonJS. The hematoimmunologic effect of AHCC for Korean patients with various cancers. Biotherapy. (Japan) 2002;16:560-564.
19.
BurikhanovRBWakameKIgarashiYWangSMatsuzakiS. Suppressive effect of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) on thymic apoptosis induced by dexamethasone in the rat. Endocr Regul. 2000;34:181-188.
20.
NogusaSGerbinoJRitzBW. Low-dose supplementation with active hexose correlated compound improves the immune response to acute influenza infection in C57BL/6 mice. Nutr Res. 2009;29:139-143.
21.
WangSWelteTFangH. Oral administration of active hexose correlated compound enhances host resistance to West Nile encephalitis in mice. J Nutr. 2009;139:598-602.
22.
AvilesHO’DonnellPOrshalJ. Active hexose correlated compound activates immune function to decrease bacterial load in a murine model of intramuscular infection. Am J Surg. 2008;195:537-545.
23.
AvilesHO’DonnellPSunBSonnenfeldG. Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) enhances resistance to infection in a mouse model of surgical wound infection. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2006;7:527-535.
24.
IshibashiHIkedaTTanshoS. Prophylactic efficacy of a basidiomycetes preparation AHCC against lethal opportunistic infections in mice [in Japanese]. Yakugaku Zasshi. 2000;120:715-719.
25.
IkedaTIshibashiHFujisakiR. Prophylactic efficacy of a basidiomycetes preparation AHCC against lethal Candida albicans infection in experimental granulocytopenic mice [in Japanese]. Nippon Ishinkin Gakkai Zasshi. 2003;44:127-131.
26.
AvilesHBelayTFountainK. Active hexose correlated compound enhances resistance to Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in mice in the hindlimb-unloading model of spaceflight conditions. J Appl Physiol. 2003;95:491-496.
27.
AvilesHBelayTVanceM. Active hexose correlated compound enhances the immune function of mice in the hindlimb-unloading model of spaceflight conditions. J Appl Physiol. 2004;97:1437-1444.
28.
TerakawaNMatsuiYSatoiS. Immunological effect of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) in healthy volunteers: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Nutr Cancer. 2008;60:643-651.
29.
MatsuiKKawaguchiYOzakiT. Effect of active hexose correlated compound on the production of nitric oxide in hepatocytes. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2007;31:373-381.
30.
SunBWakameKMukodaTToyoshimaAKanazawaTKosunaK. Preventive effects of AHCC on carbon tetrachloride induced liver injury in mice. Nat Med. 1997;51:310-315.
31.
YeSFIchimuraKWakameK. Suppressive effects of active hexose correlated compound on the increased activity of hepatic and renal ornithine decarboxylase induced by oxidative stress. Life Sci. 2003;74:593-602.
32.
YeSFWakameKIchimuraK. Amelioration by active hexose correlated compound of endocrine disturbances induced by oxidative stress in the rat. Endocr Regul. 2004;38:7-13.
33.
WangSWakameKIgarashiYKosuaKMatsuzakiS. Beneficial effects of active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) on immobilization stress in the rat. Dokkyo J Med Sci. 2001;28:559-565.
34.
VetvickaVVashishtaASaraswat-OhriS. Immunological effects of yeast- and mushroom-derived beta-glucans. J Med Food. 2008;11:615-622.
35.
SoltanianSStuyvenECoxE. Beta-glucans as immunostimulant in vertebrates and invertebrates. Crit Rev Microbiol. 2009;35:109-138.
36.
YanJAllendorfDJBrandleyB. Yeast whole glucan particle (WGP) beta-glucan in conjunction with antitumour monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2005;5:691-702.
37.
YagitaAMaruyamaSWakasugiSSukegawaY. H-2 haplotype-dependent serum IL-12 production in tumor-bearing mice treated with various mycelial extracts. In Vivo. 2002;16:49-54.
38.
FujiiH.RobertsA.. Genotoxicity and subchronic toxicity evaluation of Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC). Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 2010;59:237-250.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
