I came across an article today that has me very intrigued... it talks about a blood cancer in dogs and how a compound in the chinese Yunzhi mushroom calls PSP has a dramatic effect on prognosis.
Anyone ever hear of this? I've done a bit of googling and yes, this stuff is out there, but it's quite expensive. I'm considering it, but would like some feedback.
Here's the link to that article: http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/mushroom-extends-lives-of-dogs-with-cancer
Forums
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Snip - Name: John Snippe
- Who do you know with myeloma?: me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Jan, 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: Yunzhi mushroom / PSP
Hi Snip!!
Hope you are doing well!
Let me know what your source is for Krestin, if you find one.
Looks like polysaccharide peptides (PSP) from C. versicolor have been shown effective in a number of cancers, lung, prostate, bone, colorectal, leukemia and breast.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22139128
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18292947
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12168863
It is considered a Biological Response Modifier aka immunomodulator .(.think lenalidomide), and appears to have activity in lung and urinary infections as well. Which is another way of saying it has demonstrated antimicrobial, anti tumor and antiviral activity.
Interestingly, it has been shown to counteract the myelosuppressive effect of cyclophosphamide. Which would be good news, in terms of managing that adverse effect at therapeutic doses.
In terms of therapeutic impact for myeloma, PSP has been shown to activate macrophages, NK cells, as well as T cells (CD4) that induce T killer (helper ) cells.
I found this data on clinical trials in humans:
http://www.cancer-therapy.org/CT/v6/A/12._Leung_&_Cheng,_117-130.pdf
More details here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3253283/?tool=pubmed
". PSP has been recorded as the only Yun Zhi anti-cancerous polysaccharide of China by American National Cancer Institute. In recognition of Professor Qing-Yao Yang's exceptional accomplishment in traditional Chinese medicine, he was awarded the Distinguished Achivement Award by the U.S. Chinese Medical Associction in 1993. Up to the moment, there are only two Yun Zhi products recognized by the medical circles, one is Japoese PSK (Krestin), the other is Chinese PSP."
http://psp-research.com/review1.htm#BRM
Hope you are doing well!
Let me know what your source is for Krestin, if you find one.
Looks like polysaccharide peptides (PSP) from C. versicolor have been shown effective in a number of cancers, lung, prostate, bone, colorectal, leukemia and breast.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22139128
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18292947
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12168863
It is considered a Biological Response Modifier aka immunomodulator .(.think lenalidomide), and appears to have activity in lung and urinary infections as well. Which is another way of saying it has demonstrated antimicrobial, anti tumor and antiviral activity.
Interestingly, it has been shown to counteract the myelosuppressive effect of cyclophosphamide. Which would be good news, in terms of managing that adverse effect at therapeutic doses.
In terms of therapeutic impact for myeloma, PSP has been shown to activate macrophages, NK cells, as well as T cells (CD4) that induce T killer (helper ) cells.
I found this data on clinical trials in humans:
http://www.cancer-therapy.org/CT/v6/A/12._Leung_&_Cheng,_117-130.pdf
More details here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3253283/?tool=pubmed
". PSP has been recorded as the only Yun Zhi anti-cancerous polysaccharide of China by American National Cancer Institute. In recognition of Professor Qing-Yao Yang's exceptional accomplishment in traditional Chinese medicine, he was awarded the Distinguished Achivement Award by the U.S. Chinese Medical Associction in 1993. Up to the moment, there are only two Yun Zhi products recognized by the medical circles, one is Japoese PSK (Krestin), the other is Chinese PSP."
http://psp-research.com/review1.htm#BRM
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suzierose - Name: suzierose
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2 sept 2011
Re: Yunzhi mushroom / PSP
Thanks Snip and Suzierose...what interesting research showing the anti-viral, anti-microbial and anti-tumour activity in the fungi C. versicolor! I suppose that for the fungi it is a main line of attack against those pathogens, since fungi don't have the same type of immune systems that we do. Maybe someone will get into a study of the PSP (Chinese name) or the PSK (Japanese name) for myeloma! That would seem like a good research project for a grad student, nest-ce pas?
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: Yunzhi mushroom / PSP
Hi Snip!
I found this PSP source:
http://www.oriveda.com/coriolus_psp.php
and this review from Harvard:
Polysaccharide Immunomodulators as Therapeutic Agents - ARTHUR O. TZIANABOS - Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA © (2000)
Abstract - Recently, many advances have been made toward understanding host immune responses to infectious diseases. Novel cell surface and soluble signaling molecules produced by cells of the immune system have been discovered that regulate host responses to microorganisms. It is now widely appreciated that these molecules interact in a concerted fashion to maintain a balance that governs an appropriate response to infectious organisms. Investigators have focused on discovering com- pounds that positively or negatively modulate the biologic re- sponse of immune cells and enhance the host's ability to resist microbial infection. Several classes of these compounds, such as proteins, peptides, lipopolysaccharides, glycoproteins, and lipid derivatives, have all been characterized as molecules that have potent effects on the host immune system. Peptides such as cytokines and chemokines are well-known examples of such molecules. While polysaccharides have long been believed to have benign biologic properties, certain polymers have recently been shown to act as potent immunomodulating agents. This review will focus on polysaccharides that exhibit this biologic activity and their potential for clinical use.
Download this pdf
This 11-page article is available for free download in PDF format (zipped, 299 KB).
I found this PSP source:
http://www.oriveda.com/coriolus_psp.php
and this review from Harvard:
Polysaccharide Immunomodulators as Therapeutic Agents - ARTHUR O. TZIANABOS - Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA © (2000)
Abstract - Recently, many advances have been made toward understanding host immune responses to infectious diseases. Novel cell surface and soluble signaling molecules produced by cells of the immune system have been discovered that regulate host responses to microorganisms. It is now widely appreciated that these molecules interact in a concerted fashion to maintain a balance that governs an appropriate response to infectious organisms. Investigators have focused on discovering com- pounds that positively or negatively modulate the biologic re- sponse of immune cells and enhance the host's ability to resist microbial infection. Several classes of these compounds, such as proteins, peptides, lipopolysaccharides, glycoproteins, and lipid derivatives, have all been characterized as molecules that have potent effects on the host immune system. Peptides such as cytokines and chemokines are well-known examples of such molecules. While polysaccharides have long been believed to have benign biologic properties, certain polymers have recently been shown to act as potent immunomodulating agents. This review will focus on polysaccharides that exhibit this biologic activity and their potential for clinical use.
Download this pdf
This 11-page article is available for free download in PDF format (zipped, 299 KB).
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suzierose - Name: suzierose
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2 sept 2011
Re: Yunzhi mushroom / PSP
There's more from ASH 2009 education book:
http://asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/content/2009/1/313.full
"In Asia, C versicolor extract is available as a health supplement and can be purchased without a prescription. It is generally believed that the anti-cancer effects of the medicinal mushroom are related to the immunomodulatory effector functions of the polysaccharide component of Ganoderma, or the polysaccharide protein fractions in Coriolus, which is commercially available as Polysaccharide Krestin (PSK) in Japan or Polysaccharide Protein (PSP) in China.29
A Japanese study of PSK as an adjuvant to chemotherapy in 28 patients found that leukemia remission and survival were significantly prolonged for patients who received PSK plus chemotherapy compared with that of those who received chemotherapy alone.30 In another multicenter trial from Japan of 67 patients with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia in remission, those who received maintenance chemotherapy plus PSK tended to have longer survival over the control group that received chemotherapy alone, though without statistical significance.30
There is evidence from animal studies that the anti-tumor action of mushroom polysaccharides is mediated through immunomodulatory regulation rather than by direct cytotoxicity toward tumor cells. For instance, PSK has been shown to regulate cytokines and activate the complement system and natural killer cells.31 It has also been reported that PSP effectively stimulates the generation of IFN-α and markedly improves the production of IFN-γ.32 The latter is of special interest to us as our laboratory has previously reported that peripheral blood dendritic cells from myeloma patients were defective in their ability to up-regulate the expression of CD80 when ligating with CD40-ligand partly due to the presence of cytokines of IL-10 and TGF-β.33 We have subsequently demonstrated that such defects can be reversed by treatment with IL-12 and IFN-γ.34 It would be important to examine whether the IFN-γ induced by PSP actually would be able to correct the defective blood dendritic cells in cancer patients.
This immunomodulatory hypothesis for mushroom polysaccharide effects is supported by results from an in vivo study showing restoration of suppressed immunological responsiveness by PSP in cancer patients but no significant immunological effects on a normal host, reflecting the potential real-life situation in cancer patients or those having chemotherapy.35 PSP has also been shown to counteract the myelo- and immuno-suppressive effects of cyclophosphamide, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of lymphoma and leukemia, by increasing the number of white blood cells and IL-2 production, that included the improvement in lymphocyte proliferation, NK-cell functions, and the growth of spleen and thymus.36,37
PSP can affect the cellular immunity as suggested by its ability to induce proliferation of human T cells and increased the CD4/CD8 ratio in vitro.37 However, it is important to note that it remains unclear whether the change of the various T cell subsets has any direct relationship with overall anti-tumor effects or merely reflects a lymphocytotic process due to cytokine profile changes."
http://asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/content/2009/1/313.full
"In Asia, C versicolor extract is available as a health supplement and can be purchased without a prescription. It is generally believed that the anti-cancer effects of the medicinal mushroom are related to the immunomodulatory effector functions of the polysaccharide component of Ganoderma, or the polysaccharide protein fractions in Coriolus, which is commercially available as Polysaccharide Krestin (PSK) in Japan or Polysaccharide Protein (PSP) in China.29
A Japanese study of PSK as an adjuvant to chemotherapy in 28 patients found that leukemia remission and survival were significantly prolonged for patients who received PSK plus chemotherapy compared with that of those who received chemotherapy alone.30 In another multicenter trial from Japan of 67 patients with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia in remission, those who received maintenance chemotherapy plus PSK tended to have longer survival over the control group that received chemotherapy alone, though without statistical significance.30
There is evidence from animal studies that the anti-tumor action of mushroom polysaccharides is mediated through immunomodulatory regulation rather than by direct cytotoxicity toward tumor cells. For instance, PSK has been shown to regulate cytokines and activate the complement system and natural killer cells.31 It has also been reported that PSP effectively stimulates the generation of IFN-α and markedly improves the production of IFN-γ.32 The latter is of special interest to us as our laboratory has previously reported that peripheral blood dendritic cells from myeloma patients were defective in their ability to up-regulate the expression of CD80 when ligating with CD40-ligand partly due to the presence of cytokines of IL-10 and TGF-β.33 We have subsequently demonstrated that such defects can be reversed by treatment with IL-12 and IFN-γ.34 It would be important to examine whether the IFN-γ induced by PSP actually would be able to correct the defective blood dendritic cells in cancer patients.
This immunomodulatory hypothesis for mushroom polysaccharide effects is supported by results from an in vivo study showing restoration of suppressed immunological responsiveness by PSP in cancer patients but no significant immunological effects on a normal host, reflecting the potential real-life situation in cancer patients or those having chemotherapy.35 PSP has also been shown to counteract the myelo- and immuno-suppressive effects of cyclophosphamide, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of lymphoma and leukemia, by increasing the number of white blood cells and IL-2 production, that included the improvement in lymphocyte proliferation, NK-cell functions, and the growth of spleen and thymus.36,37
PSP can affect the cellular immunity as suggested by its ability to induce proliferation of human T cells and increased the CD4/CD8 ratio in vitro.37 However, it is important to note that it remains unclear whether the change of the various T cell subsets has any direct relationship with overall anti-tumor effects or merely reflects a lymphocytotic process due to cytokine profile changes."
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suzierose - Name: suzierose
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2 sept 2011
Re: Yunzhi mushroom / PSP
Hi Suzierose...that is so interesting! You would probably know whether or not this was an overly simplistic idea....could the PSP (aka PSK....just different methods of extraction from the blue bracket fungus, to give it a differing name) be tested against human myeloma cell lines to see if it had an effect on them, but not normal plasma cells? That is why I wondered if this would be a lab project. They would do that first before trying it on patients, of course. Personally, I would very much hesitate to take the PSP as a supplement, but it isn't even a prescription drug in Asia! So it would be best to have it tested out by scientists.
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: Yunzhi mushroom / PSP
Hi Nancy!!
More than 2 dozen human studies of PSK have been reviewed by experts at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Almost all of these studies were done in Japan and focused on cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, or breast. Many of them are in the paper in my first post under clinical trials in humans.
Most of these studies demonstrate cytotoxicity to cancer cells vs normal plasma cells.
I was not able to find a study in myeloma patients, only human myeloma cells.
Hope this helps.
More than 2 dozen human studies of PSK have been reviewed by experts at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Almost all of these studies were done in Japan and focused on cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, or breast. Many of them are in the paper in my first post under clinical trials in humans.
Most of these studies demonstrate cytotoxicity to cancer cells vs normal plasma cells.
I was not able to find a study in myeloma patients, only human myeloma cells.
Hope this helps.
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suzierose - Name: suzierose
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2 sept 2011
Re: Yunzhi mushroom / PSP
Wow... Susierose, you really came across here!
Looks like I am shopping for PSP
BTW, to answer your question: yes, I am doing quite well on the cancer front. Last bloodwork had me in VG partial post ASCT... a bit disappointing, but not very. Life goes on. The only downside nowadays is from the damage to my heart as a result of the Malaphan I got at ASCT... it's pretty significant, and leaves me short of breath and tired a lot, and of course now I am on heart meds.
Beats the alternative, tho
Looks like I am shopping for PSP
BTW, to answer your question: yes, I am doing quite well on the cancer front. Last bloodwork had me in VG partial post ASCT... a bit disappointing, but not very. Life goes on. The only downside nowadays is from the damage to my heart as a result of the Malaphan I got at ASCT... it's pretty significant, and leaves me short of breath and tired a lot, and of course now I am on heart meds.
Beats the alternative, tho
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Snip - Name: John Snippe
- Who do you know with myeloma?: me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Jan, 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: Yunzhi mushroom / PSP
Thanks! I will try to read up on that...how the human studies were done in Japan. There is always more to learn about in this field, that's for sure!
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: Yunzhi mushroom / PSP
I am sorry to hear about your heart problems, John. It is nice to see you posting here again though. Best wishes to you...thanks for starting this interesting 'thread'....who knew that a prescription at a vet's office could lead into this chat? Take good care of yourself!
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
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