Beta Glucan

At Harmony Center, we have researched sources and have chosen to add Transfer Point's Beta Glucan to our specialized product line. It has been researched and documented by some of the most pretigious universities in the world: Auburn University, Brown University, Cornell University, Memorial Slaon Kettering Cancer Center, North Carolina A & T State University, University of Louisville, University of Massachusetts, University of Minnesota, U.S. Armed Forces Radiology Research Institute and the Defence Research Establishment in Suffield, Canada. In addition, the Beta glucan in each bottle is independently tested and certified to ensure it meets or exceeds the requirements of that used in peer reviewed studies.

University tested to be 8-160 times more effective when compared to dozen of other "immune products"

Pre-clinical evidence shows rapid recovery from radiation and chemotherapy

Protected by over 200 US and International patents covering processes of manufacture, composition and uses of Beta glucan from baker's yeast

The only Beta gluca proven in in vivo to enhance immune protection against community and hospital acquired infections

Safe, natural and free from unwanted contaminants that could give rise to allergies or exaggerate certain autoimmune conditions

Tested for safety and efficacy in human clinical trials

Orally absorbed and distributed throughout the immune system

Edmonton Journal
April 10, 2006
"The regional fair, held at NAIT, did not feature a single baking-soda volcano. Only one experiment probed how long it would take a nail to dissolve in a glass of Coca-Cola. But two students from Old Scona academic high school showed a project titled Effect of CMV Infection on the Production of S1P Receptor Proteins, and another pair from the same school had one called The Effect of the Incorporation of Beta-Glucan Into a Food Matrix. Researchers Haran Yogasundaram, 16, and Carl Yang, 17, found that beta-glucan, a dietary fibre, may be useful for controlling diabetics' blood-sugar levels. Their experiment involved the simulated digestion of beta-glucan spaghetti they made themselves. "There is a trend in North America towards an increase in diseases related to the overabundance of sugars in the bloodstream," Haran said. "We wanted to try something new that actually had applications to people's lives. This research is at the forefront." On Sunday, the pair won the Alex Taylor Memorial Senior Chemistry Award." Click here to read the entire article.

What is Beta Glucan?
Beta Glucan is primarily cultured extract of Baker's Yeast cell wall. It is used as an immunostimulant. Beta glucans are sugar molecules (polysaccharides). They are found bound together as a sugar/protein complex. Certain plants and microorganisms are naturally high in this polysaccharide compound. The richest concentrated source is baker's yeast cell walls. (Because there is basically no yeast left in the products and they have low protein levels, it is considered hypoallergenic.) It is present in lesser amounts in mushroom extracts and Lentinen, Barley, Oat, etc. Sodium alginate is also an excellent source, but the high sodium content is a major drawback in the processing for supplemental use. An expensive research extract called Zymosan™ has been used for doing research for over 45 years. Much of the research has been in combining it with conventional approaches, such as chemotherapy, but it has been found to work well on its own.
 
Click here to see why you should take Beta Glucan.

To see cited research on Beta Glucan and tumors click here.

To maximize your uptake of the Beta-l, 3-D Glucan, it should always be taken on an empty stomach. Wait at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything. A small amount of pure water should be used to swallow the material. (No coffee, tea, juice, etc.) For information on purchasing Beta Glucan consult our health tools page.

Normally, simple sugars would be broken down in the digestive system, converted to glucose, and used for energy. This does not occur with a long chain polysaccharide like Beta-l, 3-D glucan. The polysaccharide is carried across the lining of the small intestine into the lymphatic system. It is lined with enterones and enterocytes. They produce a sticky substance on their surface called glycocalix or "the fuzz." In this glycocalix, binding sites (receptors) sit ready to grab the Beta-l, 3-D glucan. From the lymphatic system, the Beta-l, 3-D glucan is carried into the blood stream. This process is called endocytosis and pinocytosis.

What glucans seem to do is to stimulate/irritate your white blood cells called Macrophages into action. There is actually beta glucan receptors displayed by immune cells that the lectin fits right into like a lock and key and switches on or activates the macrophage to do it's job...clean up. Increased macrophage activity triggers a whole cascade of immune events, which basically boost immune response, which improves natural host resistance. It also stimulates the production of immune cells.

It is proven beneficial for conditions related to immunity. Here are a few of the abstract references available:
• Anti-Tumor Effects. Mediates Destruction of Malignant Cells (J. Nat'l. Cancer Inst. 54, No.3:571, 1975
• Inhibits Tumor Growth & Enhances Survival Rates (Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 121A: 269-290, 1980)
• Stimulates Tumor Cell Destruction (Scand.J.Immunol. 15:297-304 / Diss.Abst. Int.Sci. 48:1263, 1987)
• Improved Host Resistance to all types of different infections (Trends in Pharm.Sciences, 433:344-347, 1983)
• Haults & Reverses Radiation Damage. (Radiation Research 117:59-69, 1989 / USAF Radiobioklogy Inst., Bethesda, MD)
• Immunomodulation and anti-cancer activity of polysaccharide-proteincomplexes.
Curr Med Chem 2000 Jul;7(7):715-29/ Ooi VE, Liu F./ Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.

In Japan, extracts containing various types of Beta glucan have been used to successfully assist in treating cancer patients for the last 20 years. See Aoki, T. Chapter 4, Lentinan. In: Modulation Agents and their Mechanism. Richard L. Fenichel (Ed), Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York and Basel, pp 63-77 (1984).

There appears to be a synergistic relationship between Beta-Glucan and Vitamin C, so many clinics combine both in their treatments. 

The Human Immune System
The human immune system is an extremely efficient defense system with a single goal – to keep us healthy. Our immune system consists of a wide and complicated network of various cell types (macrophages, antibodies, and several types of lymphocytes - mostly T and B cells), which constantly monitor our health.

The immune system is weakened by age, illness, and increasing stress levels. Repeated exposure to toxic chemicals, such as pesticides, car exhaust, pollutants, and constant attacks of pathogens, further diminish the Ability of our bodies to fight the numerous diseases.

The bottom line is that getting sick or staying healthy depends on the power and health of our immune system.

The immune response is the body's way of defending itself against foreign substances that invade it. These invaders, like viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc., cause infection and disease. The immune system's job is a complicated process. It involves the coordinated efforts of several types of white blood cells.

The Immune Response Enhanced by Beta-1, 3-D Glucan
by A. J. Lanigan, Transfer Point
How the Immune System Destroys Viruses:
1) The immune response begins when invaders like viruses enter the body. White blood cells, called macro phages, encounter the invader and consume it. The macrophage does not care what the invader might be. It only knows self or non-self. Meanwhile, other viruses look for nearby cells to infect. Beta-l, 3-D glucan, an extract from the cell wall of a baker's yeast, turns the "Woody Allen cells" into "Schwartzenagger cells." This allows your immune system to be "all that it can be." Beta-l, 3-D glucan modulates and potentiates the macrophage and keeps it in a more prepared state. With this balancing effect, all subsequent immune response improves. The beta glucan and the macrophages are oblivious to the type of invader or the health of the host. Again, the macrophage only knows self -v- non-self. The glucan treated host will enjoy an increase in its arsenal against unwanted offenders.

(In the area of autoimmune disease, the removal of diseased cells, debris, and harmful molecules from the body and blood are important. Beta glucans play a role here. Scavenging and debris cleansing abilities of the properly modulated macrophage can assist these processes. In various parts of the body, macrophages may be called: Alveolar cells – lungs
Interdigitating cells - various
Kupffer cells - liver
Langerhans cells - skin
Mesangial cells – kidneys
Microglial cells - brain
Monocyte cells – blood
Neutrophil cells - various
Serosal cells - endothelial layer
Synovial cells – joints)

2) Next, the macrophage digests the virus and displays pieces of the virus (antigens) on its surface. Antigens may be any substance introduced into the body that the immune system recognizes as non-self. Nearby cells may become infected by the attacking viruses. In a healthy immune system, these infected cells will come under attack, be destroyed, and be removed before they can be used to spread the illness.

3) Unique among the different helper T cells (another class of white blood cells) in the body, one particular helper T cell now recognizes the antigen displayed and binds to the macrophage. There are at least two subsets of the helper T cells, the Thl and the Th2. They make the decisions as to what type response will be ordered. Up and down regulatory factors transmitted by this pair of cells (macrophage + T helper) provide many variations for dealing with the invaders.

4) This union stimulates the production of chemical substances-such as interleukin-l (IL-l) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by the macrophage, and interleukin-2 (IL-2) and gamma interferon (IFN-y) by the T cell-that allow intercellular communication. These cytokines/lymphokines (fax messages) are required for T cell activation and response. Mere activation is not enough. The Antigen Presenting Cell (APC) depending on the type (MHC I or II) of presentation gives co-stimulation (a second go-ahead signal). CD28 (blood test) reflects this co-stimulation and activation process.

(Balance of cytokine production is important. Autoimmune diseased patients frequently display low IL-2 and high gamma-Interferon. Absolute causes are not established but there are strong indications towards viruses and environmental factors (i.e., sunlight, chemicals, and certain drugs that alter recognized self to non-self cell types). Due to the high incidence of autoimmune disease in women, heredity and sex hormones are suspected since Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) responses are relative to certain genes.

There are numerous studies showing the safety and effectiveness of Beta-l, 3-D glue an in a host for immune bolstering, immune dysfunction, immune dysregulation and last but not least, the selective lowering of LDL cholesterol.)

5) As part of the continuing process, IL-l helps activate Band T cells; IL-2 instructs other helper T's and a different class of T cells, the killer T's (CTLs or cytotoxic T lymphocytes), to multiply. The proliferating helper T's in turn release substances that cause B cells to multiply and produce antibodies. B cells are prepared to recognize antigen without preprocessing. The T cell cannot recognize antigen in its natural state. It must first be broken down and the fragments bound to a Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecule by the APC. The macrophage is an APC. Glucan causes its receptor sites (key slots) to be readied for these presentation chores.

6) The killer T cells (trained assassins) now begin shooting holes in cells that have been infected by viruses or other pathogens. The killer T cell (CTL or cytotoxic T lymphocyte) becomes a "trained assassin." They respond to the MHC I complex, which is found on almost all body cells. The CTL has the ability to seek and destroy infected human cells in a specific manner. With the injection of powerful chemicals, these infected cells are killed before they can be used to spread a disease. Natural Killer (NK) cells are large, granule-filled lymphocytes that take on tumor cells and infected body cells. They are known as "natural" killers because they attack without first having to recognize specific antigens. Like the macrophage, if it is not "self," it will proceed to kill. NK cells and CTLs both kill on contact. The killer binds to the target, aims its weapons and then releases a lethal burst of chemicals to punch holes in the target.

7) When a Class II MHC molecule is presented by the APC, the B cell/antibody process begins. This is the humoral side of the immune system. (Immunologists have long distinguished between cellular and humoral immune systems. It has become clear that these two are closely intertwined. Almost all antigens evoke both responses to some degree. However, one arm is usually more effective than the other and regulatory mechanisms end up directing to one side or the other.) The antibodies released by the B cells bind to antigens on the surfaces of free-floating viruses. Besides making it easier for macrophages to destroy viruses, this binding signals blood components called complement to puncture holes in the viruses. The Complement System is made up of 2S proteins that work with the antibodies to destroy invaders. They facilitate phagocytosis (eating by phagocytes) or they directly puncture the invader's cell membrane. C3 is the key protein that triggers the "complement cascade". This cascade results into a "membrane attack complex" that literally blasts a hole into the antibody marked prey. Fragments thrown off by this process bring into play mast cells and basophils. By releasing their chemical contents, they produce the redness, warmth, and swelling of the inflammatory response.

8) Finally, as the infection is brought under control, the activated T and B cells are turned off by suppressor T cells (a T-8 subset). However, a few "memory cells" (another T-8 subset) remain behind to respond quickly if the same virus attacks again. Immunologists believe that the body fights cancer in much the same way it seeks to eliminate viruses. Further study of the immune system is expected to reveal ways to bolster it, allowing the body to become a more active partner in the fight against cancer.
 
Beta-l,3-D glucan has been used in experiments designed to test the 5 major functions of the immune system.

Beta glucan has been shown to directly increase hematopoiesis. Hematopoiesis is the process by which you bone marrow produces stem cells. Stem cells are one of the most vital needs of your immune system, because stem cells ultimately become white blood cells. Specialized types of white blood cells are called phagocytes; these include macrophages, neutrophils, and eosenophils. One function of these phagocytes is to engulf invaders (or any foreign substance) immediately, without question. This process is called phagocytosis.

Phagocytosis has also been tested and shown to be enhanced by our Beta glucan. The phagocyte's ability to engulf foreign substances is very important. The faster phagocytosis happens, the more debris the phagocyte can destroy. When a phagocyte digests an invader, it notifies the proper authorities (T cells), to let them know there is a foreign substance present. The T cells decide the best action to pursue in order to relieve the body of this foreign substance. Once the phagocyte presents the debris of the invader, the T cells have several options:

1. Initiate a Humoral Immune Response, using acquired immunity, B cells, and antibodies. The antibodies are specific and use a chemical process to identify the invader and fight it. However, the antibodies are not produced or ready to use for the body for about 21 days. This type of immune response is most typically associated with vaccines.

2. Initiate a Cell Mediated Immune Response, alongside innate immunity's phagocytes and natural killer cells. These immune cells fight hand to hand with the invader, using ROls, NOls, and their stomachs. These cells do not need preparation; they are always ready to fight.

3. Initiate a Humoral and Cell Mediated Immune Response.

If the T cell initiates a cell mediated immune response, all phagocytes that have flocked to the site of infection are assisted by other specific white blood cells. This charge of cells is called chemotaxis. Chemotaxis has been tested and shown to be enhanced by our Beta glucan. When the phagocytes reach the site of invasion, they produce reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs) and reactive nitrogen intermediates (NO Is). These ROIs and NOIs include hydrogen peroxide (H202) and nitric oxide (NO), and are very important in helping the phagocytes to rapidly destroy the invader. Transfer Point's Beta glucan has been tested and shown to help phagocytes produce more ROIs and NOIs. Therefore, the faster the phagocytes reach the site of invasion, and use ROIs and NOIs, the faster the intruder's position is compromised.

However, if the T cell initiates a humoral immune response, B cells are notified to create plasma cells, which create antibodies to fight the infection. These antibodies are actually chemicals designed to tag a specific invader, and take about 21 days to fully develop. When the antibodies are ready, they are sent out to target the specific substance for which they are made. Until these antibodies are ready, it is up to the innate immunity to directly come in contact, hand to hand combat, and ultimately engulf the intrusive substance.

Innate immunity is what keeps you alive, until acquired immunity is established. In some cases, a person's immune system programs itself to rely too much on a humoral (antibody) response versus a cell mediated immune response. Transfer Point's Beta glucan has been tested and shown to correct an over-shifted humoral response to a cell mediated immune response. Anecdotal evidence and theory suggest this is helpful in allergies, autoimmune disease, and cancer.



Vaclav Vetvicka, Ph.D.
Department of Pathology
511 South f10yd Street University of Louisville
Louisville. Kentucky 40292 502-852-1612
Fax: 502-852-1177 vacJav.vetvicka@.louisvllle.edu

April 14, 2005

To whom it might concern:

Current trends in cancer therapy:
Despite decades of research, cancer is still one of the most dangerous diseases. In the United States, hundreds of thousand people die every year from various types of cancer. Despite great achievements and decades of intensive, labor consuming and expensive research, the incidence of various tumors and cancers is still increasing in an alarm rate. Based on the National Cancer Institute estimates, 1 in 5 humans in the U.S. is likely to get cancer in their lifetime, which by many is considered a danger of an epidemic proportion. Besides the most common types of treatment, such as chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiotherapy, the alternative types of treatment of cancer diseases are getting more and more attention of both professional physicians and. scientists.

Glucan
Natural products useful in preventing or treating various diseases have been highly sought throughout history of medicine. Glucan isolated from yeast, seaweed or mushrooms are well-know biologic response modifiers that function as immunostimulans against both infectious diseases and cancer. Unlike the majority of natural products, glucans retain their full biological activity even after rigorous purification, which allowed various experimental teams to evaluate and elucidate their immunological activity on both cellular and molecular level.

Beta glucan is a natural polysaccharide consisting of numerous molecules of glucose connected together in a 1,3 beta configuration. Polysaccharides in general, and beta glucan in particular, have a long history as immunomodulators (under term immunomodulator we recognize substances which support and modulate the immune system), and have been tested and researched for decades. The first investigation of the tumor-reducing effects of a polysaccharide called Shear's polysaccharide has been published more than 60 years ago. Decades later, more interest was created after published experiments showing that crude yeast cell preparations called zymosan stimulate macrophages via activation of complement system. After that, an attention of numerous investigators focused directly on beta glucan and soon was established that beta glucans have both antibacterial and anti-tumor properties.

In the middle of 80ies, two basic types of glue an, lentinan and schizophyllan, were licenced in Japan as immuno-stimulants effective in cancer therapy. Lentinan is isolated from an edible mushroom Lentinus edodes, schizophyllan is obtained from the cultural fluid of Schizophyllium commune. Both glucans are branched 1,3 beta glucans. Using a model of Sarcoma 180 tumor cells grown in mice, both glucans were shown to have very strong tumor inhibitory properties.

How Glucan Works:
In order to be able to fully respond to all invading microorganisms, macrophages need to become activated. Only after several steps of the activation cascade, a whole sequence of metabolic changes occurs together with changes on the membrane of macrophages. In many cases the attacking bacteria, either directly or indirectly via toxins such as endotoxin, activate macrophages by themselves. Unfortunately, quite often this natural activation is not enough. Sometimes the bacteria do not adequately activate macrophages, sometimes the whole immune system is weakened and the number of macrophages is exhausted.

Clearly, our immune system needs help and here comes glue an. It is able to help our immune system by two completely different ways. First, glucan is taking care about numbers of cells involved in immune reactions. All these cells originate from common precursor found in bone marrow. The influx of new cells from bone marrow is steady, but limited. And here, beta glucan comes to the rescue. It stimulates the production of precursor cells in bone marrow, resulting in a more rapid flow of new cells into the bloodstream and into all lymphoid organs.

Beta glucan also interacts directly with macrophages and represent one of the strongest activators of macrophages. Upon binding of glucan to the specific receptor present on the membrane of macrophages, macrophages become activated and able to perform with maximum capacity.

Beta glucan is also involved in direct fight against cancer. Two membrane glucan receptors have been characterized at a molecular level. The first one is called Dectin-l, the second, better characterized, is called CR3. Unique to CR3 are its two separate binding sites, one carbohydrate (i.e., glucan)-binding site and a second site for the iC3b fragment of complement.

Despite the fact that most tumors are recognized by the immune system, the antibody response is usually not strong enough to destroy the cancer growth. Even a fully healthy immune system cannot adequately deal with fast-growing cancer cells. Beta glucan is able to cooperate with antibodies. After tumor cells are recognized as foreign, specific antibodies are released and subsequently bind to the cancer cells. Following this binding of antibodies, C3 fragment of complement coat the surface of cancer cells, and then the beta glue an-primed cells such as macrophages, NK cells and neutrophils specifically recognize these antibody-C3 coated cells and kill them. Without glue an, the killing will not take place and the situation will get serious very fast.

After several years of research, two scientific groups working at the University of Louisville, demonstrated the mechanisms by which the orally administered glucans enhance the body defenses fighting with cancer. Basically, orally (or intravenously) administered glucan functions as an adjuvant for antitumor antibodies by priming the inactivated CR3 receptors, enabling them to trigger direct cytotoxicity against complement-coated tumor cells.

Other options:
Last decades brought several new and highly promising ways of treatment of cancer. Most of these new ways of treatment are based on immunotherapy. The basic idea is the same - aberrant cancer cells appear in our body virtually all the time, but the adequately functioning immune system is able to kill them in time. In some cases, however, the cancer cells are either growing too fast for the immunocytes to adequately defense our bodies, or the cancer cells manage to escape the surveillance.

One of the new methods is to re-educate the immune system cells, particularly the lymphocytes, to recognize cancer cells. The special type of immunocytes called dendritic cells are isolated and activated to a state where they educate patient's lymphocytes to seek our and destroy the cancer.

Another possibility is the use of monoclonal antibodies, often in cooperation with complement system. Monoclonal antibodies alone still hold great promise as anticancer therapeutic strategy, as they target cancer" cells specifically and spare surrounding tissue. Seven anti-cancer antibodies are now approved for clinical use, another ten are currently being tested in Phase III clinical trials; The approved monoclonal antibodies are: Herceptin, Campath, Mylotarg, Rituxan, Bexxar and Zevalin. Tumor .cells are protected from complement-mediated injury by membrane-bound regulatory proteins. However, it is possible to increase the immunotherapeutic effects of monoclonal antibodies by activation of complements receptors.

Additional promising approach uses several different type of anti-cancer vaccines; All these vaccines have one goal - to boost quality of the immune response. This active immunotherapy for tumors has been an attractive therapeutic approach because it harnesses the body's immune potential to attack malignant cells in an antigen-specific' manner and, compared with passive immunotherapy, does not require the infusion of large doses of anti-tumor antibodies. Active immunotherapy can be further subdivided into approaches depending on tumor-derived material, and techniques which do not depend on material derived from tumors. The first approach is used in vaccines based either on surface antigen present on malignant cells, or in DNA vaccines encoding full length or truncated oncogenes inducing protective immunity. The second approach represents anti-idiotype vaccines.

It is well known that cancer patients are, to varying degrees, immunosuppressed. Dysregulation during cancer cell growth potentially allows tumor specific proteins that can be recognized as foreign by the immune system to be expressed. Most of the tumors, however, seem to avoid immune mediated attack. For that, the fully alert and active immune system represents the major defense line in fight against cancer. The immunostimulating effects of glucan are thus extremely important to guarantee that of defense systems will be able to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
Vaclav Vetvicka, Ph.D.

Immunomodulation and anti-cancer activity of polysaccharide-protein complexes.
Ooi VE, Liu F
Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
In the last three decades, numerous polysaccharides and polysaccharide-protein complexes have been isolated from mushrooms and used as a source of therapeutic agents. The most promising biopharmacological activities of these biopolymers are their immunomodulation and anti-cancer effects. They are mainly present as glucans with different types of glycosidic linkages such as (1-->3), (1-->6)-beta-glucans and (1-->3)-alpha-glucans, and as true herteroglycans, while others mostly bind to protein residues as polysaccharide-protein complexes. Three antitumor mushroom polysaccharides, i.e. lentinan, schizophyllan and protein-bound polysaccharide (PSK, Krestin), isolated respectively, from Lentinus edodes, Schizophyllum commune and Coriolus versicolor, have become large market items in Japan. Lentinan and schizophyllan are pure beta-glucans, whereas PSK is a protein-bound beta-glucan. A polysaccharide peptide (PSP), isolated from a strain of Coriolus versicolor in China, has also been widely used as an anti-cancer and immunomodulatory agent. Although the mechansim of their antitumor action is still not completely clear, these polysaccharides and polysaccharide-protein complexes are suggested to enhance cell-mediated immune responses in vivo and in vitro and act as biological response modifiers. Potentiation of the host defense system may result in the activation of many kinds of immune cells that are vitally important for the maintenance of homeostasis. Polysaccharides or polysaccharide-protein complexes are considered as multi-cytokine inducers that are able to induce gene expression of vaious immunomodulatory cytokines and cytokine receptors. Some interesting studies focus on investigation of the relationship between their structure and antitumor activity, elucidation of their antitumor mechanism at the molecular level, and improvement of their various biological activities by chemical modifications.