Coriolus versicolor VPS: helps Recovery from the anticancer medicines - Enhance the cytotoxic activity of NK cells - Act as a potent inducer tumor cytotoxicity - Stimulate the antigen-presenting cell function of macrophage

Coriolus versicolor, turkey tail or Trametes versicolor in North America, is unique among the medicinal mushrooms, with extensive use in both traditional herbalism and modern clinical practice.

The focus of the modern clinical use and research (over 400 published studies), has been the immuno-modulating properties of the hot water extracted polysaccharides. Originally isolated from the fruiting body (the mushroom), sales for these unique all-natural compounds have reached several hundred million dollars a year in Japan and China, making them the most widely used products in those countries by people facing serious immune challenge.

The cell wall extract from Coriolus versicolor has been clinically proven to stimulate and enhance the effectiveness of the bodies own natural defenses, a critically important step in maintaining good health. In one particular study Coriolus polysaccharides were given to both healthy volunteers and to patients with gastric cancer, and the polysaccharides stimulated a significant immune response within 24 hours. (15) In another study workers in a chemical plant were given the polysaccharides for a period of eight weeks. Significant enhancement of NK cell activity was noted along with other significant improvements in immune parameters, with the study concluding that Coriolus polysaccharides "potentiate the immunity of non-tumor bearing individuals with depressed immunity." (16)

Enhanced Immune Function

Every herbal extract contains a number of "major" and "minor" chemical components. It is important to note that it is the effect of all of these components working together that creates the desired effect, and that minor components will play a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of the primary active compounds.

In Coriolus versicolor the primary active compounds are polysaccharides. These polysaccharides are composed of a unique combination of amino acids and beta-glucans that are not affected by the digestive process and are therefore effective when used orally.

Different physiochemical parameters, such as solubility, primary structure, molecular weight, and branching all play an important role in determining the immune activities of polysaccharides. The polysaccharides found inside the indigestible cell walls of Coriolus versicolor are "three dimensional", with side chains branching off a backbone structure of linear glucose molecules. It is these secondary structures, the branching side chains, that confer biological function or immune activity allowing a "key and lock" interaction between the branching side chains and the receptors on the different immune cells.

Receptors for beta-glucans have been found on a number of different immune cells including natural killer cells and neutrophils, (17,18) monocytes/macrophages, (19) and on T and B lymphocytes (20). However, Coriolus has multiple pathways for stimulating an immune response. Coriolus polysaccharides have also been shown to stimulate the antigen-presenting cell function of macrophages and, consequently, to stimulate overall immune function (21). Several studies have also reported the ability of Coriolus polysaccharides to enhance in vitro proliferation of T and B lymphocytes (22), and to enhance the cytotoxic activity of NK cells (23).

Recent U.S. research has confirmed these immuno-modulating properties, specifically, these polysaccharides acted as a potent inducer of proliferation, tumor cytotoxicity, and lymphokine production by human lymphocytes in in vitro studies(24).

Clinical Studies

The clinical research conducted with Coriolus polysaccharides is extensive and unique among medicinal mushrooms. As part of the Japanese Health Ministry's approval process the 1-4, 1-3, 1-6 Coriolus polysaccharides went through 24 human clinical trials with 14 controlled, randomized, double blind human clinical studies. Coriolus polysaccharides are the most thoroughly researched and most successful all-natural immune supplement in the world and the only immune product to be proven in independent, published clinical studies.

Coriolus vs. Placebo

The use of Coriolus polysaccharides to support immune health was studied in a randomized, controlled, clinical trial. The follow up time was ten years. The researchers found that, when compared with the control group (surgery only), the leukocyte activity of the Coriolus group showed "remarkable enhancement".

It was concluded that "the beneficial effects were probably due to the activation of leukocyte functions as one of the many biological-response-modifying activities induced by (Coriolus polysaccharides)"(25). This improvement in immune function was found to be statistically significant and beneficial.

Coriolus Combined With Other Therapies

Controlled clinical studies have also found Coriolus polysaccharides to be effective in supporting immune health in those people receiving treatments where immune suppression is a prominent feature, showing the ability to "inhibit disorders of cellular immunity attributed to" the treatments (26, 27).

A five year study published in Lancet found that those patients receiving Coriolus polysaccharides experienced a significant improvement over the control group (28). Researchers found the Coriolus polysaccharides to have a "restorative effect in patients who have been immuno-suppressed". Coriolus polysaccharides have also been studied for their immuno-restorative effect in those people receiving radiation treatment after surgery for a lung condition. This study found that the "five-year survival rate of the patients (who received Coriolus polysaccharides) with stages I and II......as well as stage III, was 39% and 22% respectively, compared with the non-administered groups' 16% and 5%. These differences are statistically significant."(29) Stage III patients that received Coriolus polysaccharides along with radiation had a better survival rate than stage I patients receiving radiation alone (22% vs. 16%).

References

1. Stamets P., Wu Yao C. Mycomedicinals, MycoMedia Publications (1998).
2. Liu B., Bau Y. , Fungi Pharmacopoeia , Kiniko Press, (1980)
3. Jianzhe Y., Xiaolan M., Qiming M., Yichen Z., and Huaan W. Icons of Medicinal Fungi from China, Science Press, Beijing (1987).
4. Tsukagoshi S., Hashimoto Y., Fujii G., Kobayashi H., Nomoto K. and Orita K. Krestin (PSK). Cancer Treat. Rev. 11:131-155 (1984).
5. Torisu M., Hayashi Y., Ishimitsu T., Fujimura T., Iwasaki K., Katano M., Yamamoto H., Kimura Y., Takesue M., Kondo M., and Nomoto K. Significant prolongation of disease-free period gained by oral polysaccharide K (PSK) administration after curative surgical operation of colon cancer. Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, 31:261-268 (1990).
6. Hayakawa K., Mitsuhashi N., Saito Y., Takahashi M., Katano S., Shiojima K., Furuta M., and Niibe H. Effect of Krestin (PSK) as adjuvant treatment on the prognosis after radical radiotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Anticancer Research, 13:1815-1820 (1993).
7. Ilino Y., Yokoe T., Maemura M., Horiguchi J., Takei H., Ohwada S., and Morishita Y. Immunochemotherapies versus chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment after curative resection of operable breast cancer. Anticancer Research 15:2907-2912 (1995).
8. Nagao T., Komatsuda M.., Yamauchi K.., Nozaki H.., Watanabe K.., Arimori S. Chemoimmunotherapy with Krestin (Coriolus)in Acute Leukemia. Tokai J Exp Med., Vol. 6. No. 2, pp.141-146, 1981. 9. Nakazato H., Koike A., Saji S. et al. Efficacy of immunochemotherapy as adjuvant treatment after curative resection of gastric cancer. Lancet, 343-1122-1126 (1994).
10. Hu, Y., et al . Pharamacological Studies of the Effects of PSP on Analgetic Action and Appetite Improvenent. PSP International Symposium, 125-131 (1993).
11. Yang, M., et al .The Anti-tumorous Function and Clinical Significance of Yun Zhi Essence. PSP International Symposium, 221-223 (1993).
12. Yang, Q., et al .The Comparative Analysis of the Extracts of the Mycelia and the Fruitbodies of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor). PSP International Symposium, 41-55 (1993).
13. Hotta et al.U.S. Patent #4,271,151 (1981).
14. Yang, Q., et al .The Comparative Analysis of the Extracts of the Mycelia and the Fruitbodies of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor). PSP International Symposium, 41-55 (1993).
15. Kato, Michio, et al. Induction of gene expression for immunomodulating cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to orally administered PSK, an immunomodulating protein-bound ploysaccharide. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 40:152-156 (1995).
16. Yamakido, Michio, et al. Changes of Human Immunological Parameters by PSK Administration. Hiroshima Journal of Medical Scienses. December, 1984:793-800
17. Di Renzo L., Yefenof E., and Klein E. The function of human NK cells is enhanced by b-glucan, a ligand of CR3 (CD11b/CD 18). Eur. J. Immunol. 21:1755-1758 (1991).
18. Gotoh K., Gouchi A., Akura Y., Tanaka N. and Orita K. Augmentation of cytotoxicity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes by biological response modifiers. Int. J. Immunopharmac. 5:485-492, 1991. 19. Czop J. K. 1986. The role of b-glucan receptors on blood and tissue leukocytes in phagocytosis and metabolic activation. Pathol. Immunopathol. Res. 5:286-296 (1986).
20. Ohmori K., and Oka T. Effects of OK-432 or PSK on in vitro activation of T-lymphocytes from human peripheral b lood. Biotherapy (Tokyo); 4:712-716 (1990).
21. Di Renzo L., Yefenof E., and Klein E. The function of human NK cells is enhanced by b-glucan, a ligand of CR3 (CD11b/CD18). Eur. J. Immunol. 21:1755-1758 (1991).
22. Gotoh K., Gouchi A., Akura Y., Tanaka N. and Orita K. Augmentation of cytotoxicity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes by biological response modifiers. Int. J. Immunopharmac. 5:485-492, 1991.
23. Tsukagoshi S., Hashimoto Y., Fujii G., Kobayashi H., Nomoto K. and Orita K. Krestin (PSK). Cancer Treat. Rev. 11:131-155 (1984).