1. 17995702 J. Food Sci. (2007) Genes: EAC

• Growing evidence indicates the potential of developing novel polysaccharide-based adjuvant for tumor therapy from edible mushrooms, including Ganoderma lucidum.
• In the present study, a novel polysaccharide preparation (GLPP) was isolated from the fruiting body of G. lucidum grown in Anhui, China, and characterized for its physicochemical properties.
• GLPP was also investigated and compared with PSP (polysaccharopeptide preparation), a commercial antitumor and immunostimulating agent, for its antitumor and immunostimulation capacity, and potential in reducing the toxic effects induced by cyclophosphamide (Cy) treatment and Cobalt-60 ((60)Co) radiation in mice.
• GLPP at a dose of 300 mg/kg BW/d showed stronger growth inhibition against all 3 tested tumor cells than PSP at 1 g/kg BW/d. GLPP also dose-dependently increased phagocytic index, phagocytic coefficient, and 50% hemolysin value in the EAC tumor-bearing mice, indicating its potential immunostimulating property.

2. 16960396 Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. (2006) Genes: CD8 MM 46 interferon-gamma IFN-gamma

• We investigated the anti-tumor effects of a dry powder preparation of the antlered form of Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum AF, rokkaku-reishi in Japanese), a variant type of G. lucidum, not only in allogeneic Sarcoma 180-bearing ddY mice, but also in syngeneic MM 46-bearing C3H/He mice.
• G. lucidum AF inhibited tumor growth and elongated the life span when orally administered to mice by free-feeding of a 2.5% G. lucidum AF-containing diet.
• G. lucidum AF significantly countered the depression of splenic CD8+ cells and protected the decrease in interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production in regional lymph nodes of MM 46-bearing mice, indicating that the anti-tumor activity of G. lucidum AF might be caused by its immunostimulating action.
• These results suggest that the ingestion of G. lucidum AF can be useful for the prevention and curing of cancer.

3. 16169168 J Ethnopharmacol. (2006) Genes: TNF TNF-alpha IL-6 IFN-gamma

• Ganoderma lucidum is a popular medicinal mushroom in China and Japan for its immunomodulatory and antitumor effects.
• The goal of this research is to investigate the effect of dried mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum produced by submerged cultivation on the enhancement of innate immune response.
• We found that Ganoderma lucidum mycelia (0.2-1.6 mg/ml) stimulated TNF-alpha and IL-6 production after 8h treatment in human whole blood.
• IFN-gamma release from human whole blood was also enhanced after 3 day-culture with Ganoderma lucidum mycelia (0.2-1.0mg/ml).
• However, Ganoderma lucidum mycelia did not potentiate nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 cells.
• To better understand the possible immuno-enhancement mechanisms involved, we focused on nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation.
• Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that the Ganoderma lucidum mycelia (1.6 mg/ml) activated kappaB DNA binding activity in RAW264.7 cells.
• These results provide supporting evidences for the immunomodulatory effect of Ganoderma lucidum mycelia.

4. 15898702 Phytomedicine. (2005)

• Here, we report on the combination of a cat's claw water extract (C-Med-100, carboxy alkyl esters = active ingredients) + medicinal mushroom extracts (Cordyceps sinensis, Grifola blazei, Grifolafrondosa, Trametes versicolor and Ganoderma lucidum, polysaccharides = active ingredients) + nicotinamide + zinc into a formulation designed to optimize different modes of immunostimulatory action, and yet that would avoid metabolic antioxidant competition yielding less than expected efficacious effects.

5. 15544548 Mini Rev Med Chem. (2004)

• Mushrooms such as Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi), Lentinus edodes (Shiitake), Grifola frondosa (Maitake), Hericium erinaceum (Yamabushitake), and Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) have been collected and consumed in China, Korea, and Japan for centuries.
• These mushrooms contain a large variety of biologically active polysaccharides with immunostimulatory properties, which contribute to their anticancer effects.
• This review summarizes the biological effects of Ganoderma lucidum upon specific signaling molecules and pathways, which are responsible for its therapeutic effects.

6. 15525457 Acta Pharmacol Sin. (2004)

• Ganoderma lucidum (G lucidum) is a medicinal fungus with a variety of biological activities.
• The water extract and the polysaccharides fraction of G lucidum exhibited significant anti-tumor effect in several tumor-bearing animals mainly through its immunoenhancing activity.

7. 12916709 Immunol Invest. (2003) Genes: IL-2 CD8 IL-1 TNF TNF-alpha CD56 CD4 IL-6

• Preclinical studies have established that the Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide (GLPS) fractions have potent anti-tumor activity, which has been associated with the immuno-stimulating effects of GLPS.
• This study aimed to investigate the effects of Ganopoly, the polysaccharides fractions extracted from G. lucidum, on the immune function of advanced-stage cancer patients.

8. 12770506 J Biotechnol. (2003) Genes: TNF TNF-alpha IFN-gamma

• Original Ganoderma lucidum strain MZKI G97 isolated from Slovenian forests was cultivated in a liquid substrate based on potato dextrose and olive oil.
• Immunostimulatory effects of isolates were tested on induction of cytokine (tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma)) synthesis in primary cultures of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from a buffy coat.

9. 11809453 Phytochemistry. (2002)

• Three polysaccharides, two heteroglycans (PL-1 and PL-4) and one glucan (PL-3), were solubilized from the fruit bodies of Ganoderma lucidum and isolated by anion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography.
• These polysaccharides enhanced the proliferation of T- and B-lymphocytes in vitro to varying contents and PL-1 exhibited an immune-stimulating activity in mice.

10. 11689183 Carbohydr Res. (2001)

• A linear (1-->3)-alpha-D-glucan was isolated from the spores of Ganoderma lucidum (Fr.)
• The results of immunological assays indicated that some modified derivatives had potent stimulating effects on lymphocyte proliferation and antibody production and the introduction of carboxymethyl group with low degree of substitution (DS<0.28) was the best choice on the improvement of the immunostimulating activity.

11. 9085265 Mol Cells. (1997) Genes: GLA

• The basidiocarps of Ganoderma lucidum have been used for prevention and treatment of various diseases in the Orient.
• Methanolic extracts of this mushroom were applied to human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) culture systems in the presence of various immunostimulating or immunosuppressive agents.