Published Studies

Medical researchers at Yale University together with researchers in Japan have confirmed that the mushroom-based supplement AHCC boosts the immune system in a way that can prevent cancer in elderly people. AHCC is used in over 700 clinics and hospitals in Japan alone to protect the immune system of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. The new research shows that there are substantial benefits to the immune system even in an elderly population. The scientists measured the production of two cytokines, interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) by the white blood cells. Cytokines are chemical messengers used by the immune system to communicate between cells. Interferon (IFN-γ), which has both tumor reduction and tumor prevention properties, is the most famous cytokine. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) can boost a person’s immune response, and can also cause necrosis (cell death) of some types of tumor cells. Tumor necrosis factor is being studied in the treatment of some types of cancer. This research shows that the natural production of these immune-boosting and cancer-preventive cytokines by white blood cells increased within four weeks of taking the recommended dose of AHCC. It also shows that the immune-enhancing effect persisted for at least a month after stopping the daily dose. This research helps explain the mechanism by which AHCC prevents immune system collapse in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy.

See PDF

Researchers at Amino Up Chemical and Yale University tested the effect of AHCC on immune surveillance in cancer. In test animals, oral administration of AHCC significantly delayed melanoma formation and reduced tumor size. The anti-tumor effect is not limited to melanoma, however, because there was also a significant inhibiting effect on lymphoma cell lines. Malignant tumors have the ability to fool the immune system so that immune cells do not detect the presence of abnormal cells and therefore do not react to them. Restoring immune surveillance means that tumor cells are “unmasked” and the immune system becomes able once again to detect and destroy them. White blood cells called lymphocytes, and interferon secreted by them, are necessary for the immune system to be able to detect tumors. They found that AHCC significantly increases tumor-antigen specific immune cells and their ability to produce interferon (gamma-interferon: IFN-γ). The researchers indicated that there are a number of possible ways that AHCC could accomplish this, but the important fact is that their research confirms the tumor-reducing ability of AHCC through another immune mechanism.

In a study conducted by the Kansai Medical University in Japan, AHCC was administered to 127 patients with gastric and breast cancers over a period of 3 years. At the end of the period, the Mean Survival Rates (MSRs) of the patients taking AHCC were compared with the average survival times found among patients with the same profile. The study found that the Stage III and IV patients in the AHCC group had more than 40% higher mean survival rates than the average patient without the benefit of supplementation.

In 1992 Mamdooh Ghoneum, Ph.D. of Drew University of Medicine and Science, observed that AHCC increased Natural Killer (NK cell) cell activity in cancer patients. He tested mice to see if this could be repeated in controlled research conditions. The results showed a significant increase in NK cell activity in the mice. This effect was observed as early as 2 days and maintained at high levels with continuous administration of the AHCC. Next, 11 randomized patients with different types of advanced cancer were chosen to participate in research to test the immunosurveillance properties of AHCC. They found that all of the patients had low NK cell activity and that 9 out of the 11 had marked increases as early as two weeks after treatment began. This is important because NK cells are a primary mechanism in cancer surveillance and tumor reduction. The effect of increased NK cell activity continued at a high level for a sustained period.

Japanese researchers in partnership with researchers at University of California at Davis studied the combined effect of AHCC with GCP (Genistein Combined Polysaccharide), a fermented soybean isoflavone product with cancer-inhibiting properties. Both AHCC and GCP acted to inhibit the growth of several cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Although both substances have cancer cell inhibiting properties the combined effect was more powerful. A synergistic effect with the combined substances was observed in suppressing tumor growth in cancer-bearing mice. As in the cancer cell lines, the inhibitory effects were observed in groups with either AHCC or GCP alone, but the effect was more obvious in the AHCC plus GCP group. When the treatment was stopped, the size of the tumors rapidly increased. If treatment was resumed tumor growth was again suppressed.

A true test of the efficacy of a treatment is if it helps late-stage cancer patients. Researchers in Thailand studied the use of AHCC with liver cancer patients at advanced stages. 44 patients were randomized and divided into an AHCC group, taking 6 grams a day, and a control group taking a placebo. The patients were examined once a month for quality of life, blood tests related to liver function, blood tests to measure immune system function and an MRI. After a month and a half, 50% of the control group had died. At the end of 3.5 months 100% had died but 61.5% of the AHCC group was still alive. The researchers stopped enrolling patients in the control group on ethical grounds and gave all of the participants AHCC because it was immediately clear that AHCC significantly increased survival time. The study showed that the median patient survival time was twice as high in the AHCC group as in the control group. The results suggested that AHCC not only increased the probability of longer survival, but also improved quality of life. Patients taking AHCC also reported improved quality of life based on the two key QOL parameters: “general physical health” and “ability to have normal activities.” The blood test values for liver function also did not deteriorate as rapidly in the AHCC group. In all of the patients, levels of interferon were too low to measure, but other immune factors showed a slight increase or remained stable until the last two months of life.

Supressive Effect of Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) on Thymic Apoptosis Induced by Dexamethasone in the Rat.

For 7 years, surgery patients who recieved a histopathological diagnosis of gastric or colon cancer were treated with AHCC as a postoperative adjunctive therapy.

See PDF

See PDF

In a previous trial at Comfort Clinic, 38 advanced-stage cancer patients with solid tumors were treated with AHCC and subjected to analysis of their immune system activity over a year and a half. They measured several immunological values as well as clinical factors. For the immune system they measured NK cell (scavenger cells) activity, interferon (IFN-γ) and IL-12 production. For clinical evaluation, they measured performance status. Performance status is the measure used to quantify cancer patients' general well-being. and is also used as a measure of quality of life (QOL). The results of taking AHCC were a significant increase in NK cell activity, significant increases in production of interferon and IL-12 and increased performance status. They concluded that improvement of performance status, and therefore quality of life, was connected with improved immune system functioning stimulated by using AHCC.

See PDF

Active Hexose Correlated Compund Enhances Tumor Surveillance Through Regulating Both Inate and Adaptive Immune Responses.

Interactions between drugs and even foods and other natural substances are an important new field of study, especially in the area of cancer treatment. Some drugs increase or decrease the activity of some of detoxifying enzymes in the liver. If these enzymes are inhibited, a drug can accumulate to dangerously toxic levels causing an overdose. On the other hand, if enzyme levels are increased (this is called “induction”), blood plasma levels of a drug might decrease to a low and ineffective level. These interactions with the detoxifying system can affect the choice of chemotherapy drugs or even the dosage level. AHCC is known to be well tolerated with no reported adverse effects. A team of Researchers from University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Amino Up Chemical Company in Japan studied the effects of AHCC on important liver detoxification pathways. They studied important liver enzymes involved in drug metabolism cytochrome P-450 family of enzymes); this is a pathway through which many chemotherapy drugs are metabolized. The results showed that AHCC is unlikely to cause increased toxicity when combined with chemotherapy or supportive therapies, such as antidepressants and anti-nausea medications. AHCC does increase the activity of one single detoxification pathway. Further investigation is required to see if there is any interaction between AHCC and one type of drug that uses this pathway.

The animal studies on AHCC have shown similar clinical outcomes and similar effects on the immune system as in the available human studies. Research on the synergistic effect of using AHCC with conventional chemotherapy in a breast cancer model using rats showed that AHCC can increase the effectiveness of this type of conventional therapy. The most important finding in this study was that the combination of AHCC plus the drug inhibited metastasis of the cancer to distant organs and the lymph nodes. One of the problems of many types of chemotherapy is that it suppresses immune system activity. They found that the cancer drug, UFT (tegafur and uracil), slows down NK cell activity. NK cells are white blood cells that destroy cancer cells. AHCC combined with UFT restored NK cell activity and other immune factors to normal levels. Tumor size was significantly decreased in the AHCC plus UFT group but not in the UFT alone or control groups. Survival rates were significantly increased in the AHCC plus UFT group compared to UFT alone. AHCC was also found to induce white blood cells to increase nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide is an important messenger molecule involved in many physiological and pathological processes, and is beneficial in some types of cancer.

See PDF

Best of Naturpathy.

See PDF

The possibility that AHCC could reduce the side effects of cisplatin was assessed in the tumour-bearing BALB/cA mice on the basis of the ability to ameliorate the cisplatin-induced body weight loss, anorexia, nephrotoxicity and hematopoietic toxcicity.

A 269-patient study published in the prestigious Journal of Hepatology compared the outcomes of 113 post-operative liver cancer patients taking AHCC with 156 patients in the control group. The study found that the rate of recurrence of malignant tumors was significantly lower (34% versus 66%) and patient survival was significantly higher in the AHCC group (80% vs. 52%). This study helped put AHCC “on the map” internationally. Not only is the Journal of Hepatology a well respected journal, but the research was high quality, and it was carried out over an extended period of time with very significant numbers of cancer patients carefully followed-up and monitored. The level of speculation was low because actual survival figures were recorded and the patients had all been carefully observed internally at the time of surgery with photographs of tumors and lesions

Carbon tetrachloride is a very toxic, harsh chemical that is used in research to create an experimental hepatitis model. In mice with liver injury, typical symptoms include weight loss, loss of appetite, elevated inflammatory enzymes and swelling of the liver. A group that took AHCC along with carbon tetrachloride showed less swelling, fewer fatty deposits in the liver, a significantly lower level of inflammatory enzymes, higher levels of drug metabolizing enzymes, and normal levels of hormone metabolizing enzymes. There was also less weight loss and apparent loss of appetite in the AHCC-treated group.

Another well-known marker of inflammation is called CRP (c-reactive protein). Researchers in Thailand gave terminal liver cancer patients 3 grams a day of AHCC. Thailand has the highest rate of liver cancer in the world. After 6 months of taking AHCC, liver function tests returned to normal. In addition, the levels of CRP also returned to normal and rose again if the AHCC dosage was stopped in all 28 of the tested patients. C-reactive protein (CRP) is high when there are infections, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis and some cancers. Inflammation also plays an important role in cardiovascular disease. In cardiovascular disease, there is a strong relationship between circulating CRP, heart attacks and strokes. AHCC has demonstrated its ability to reduce inflammation, and the resulting high levels of CRP. It is possible that the anti-inflammatory properties of AHCC can prevent many diseases caused by an unresolved inflammatory process. Several of the previous studies showed that AHCC can increase nitric oxide production. In the case of cardiovascular disease, nitric oxide production has significant benefits: Nitric oxide protects the blood vessels’ smooth muscle tissue from harmful constriction. This allows the flexibility necessary for blood to circulate with less pressure. It regulates platelet function: and prevents formation of dangerous clots. Nitric oxide also reduces arterial plaque. It is an effective antioxidant that reduces the underlying inflammation that causes plaque to deposit. Nitric oxide also lowers cholesterol through its antioxidant activity.

In this study, the possibility of AHCC regulation of nitric oxide production by inducible nitric oxide synthase was pursued as a potential liver-producing machanism.

See PDF

Ferric nitrilotriacetate, which generates hydroxyl radicals in vivo, was given to rats and AHCC was tested for it's ability to suppress oxidative stress and the activity of ornithine decarboxylase in the liver and kidney

Another study on mice subjected to spaceflight conditions was designed to figure out how AHCC strengthens resistance to infection in this research model. They found that AHCC increases the secretion of certain cytokines that protect cellular immunity, including interferon, and an increase in nitric oxide production, which has a beneficial effect in controlling bacterial infections.

The objective of this study was to clarify the mechanisms by which AHCC increases survival in a mouse model of intramuscular infection.

Medical research in recent years has shown an important link between stress and immunity. If we have stress over a long time period or a significant trauma, it has been shown to be an important factor in infection. The main cause of “late death” after a trauma is infection. This means that if the trauma itself was not lethal, the damage to the immune system causes a severe vulnerability to breakdown resulting in a potentially fatal infection. The first step was to see what effects AHCC might have on the direct effects of stress in the body. Immobilization creates psychological stress that is measured by blood levels of adrenalin and noradrenalin, the flight or fight hormones, blood sugar and the brain chemical dopamine. Rats subjected to immobilization for several hours were tested for these stress indicators. A group of rats pre-treated with AHCC had normal blood sugar levels, normal levels of flight or fight hormones and normal dopamine levels.

There are no reliable treatments for epidemic viral infections. That’s why threat of infections like bird flu and West Nile virus cause such an uproar in the media and urgent warnings from governments and public health officials. Antibiotics are not of use in treating viral infections even though thousands of people get prescriptions for them for common respiratory infections in winter, which are almost always viral. For years clinicians observed that AHCC appeared to be effective for preventing and treating common infections. Influenza is the most common of the possibly dangerous viral infections. Influenza rates are highest in young children who do not yet have fully developed immune systems. It is also a significant cause of death in the population aged 65 and older. In children, without immunity to previous exposure to influenza virus NK (“Natural Killer” scavenger white cells) cell activity is an important source of protection. Depletion of NK cells increases the rate of mortality in mice infected with influenza. A study at Drexel University showed that AHCC increased the rate of survival of young mice with influenza infection. AHCC-treated mice also showed less weight loss. Lung virus levels were also reduced in the AHCC-treated group. Lung tissue showed rapid signs of healing and restoring the mucous membranes. The mice treated with AHCC also showed stronger NK cell activity. AHCC has been reported to increase the number of NK cells in aged mice. Future studies may show whether NK cell activity is increased in aged immune systems but there is already evidence that it increases activity in cancer patients.

In this study, young and aged mice were given AHCC or water, followed by the West Nile Virus. AHCC- treated mice had a reduced mortaility rate than those administered water.

The objective of this study was to test the prophylactic effects of oral administration of ahcc, a natural immunoenhancer, on survival in a mouse model of surgical soft tissue infection.

The relation between stress and immunity has been studied extensively with various types of stressors. One unusual type of stress is that experienced in spaceflight conditions. Researchers at Morehouse School of Medicine used a model that simulates spaceflight in mice. One of the effects of stress from spaceflight is impaired immune response and resistance to infection. Mice subjected to these conditions similar to spaceflight were infected with the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes pneumonia and other diseases and is often antibiotic-resistant. Klebsiella tends to occur in people with weakened immune systems or underlying chronic diseases. The conclusion of the study was that mice pre-treated with AHCC followed by continued treatment with AHCC were significantly safer from death from Klebsiella infection. Greater effects from AHCC were found in mice that had suppressed immunity. Mice treated with AHCC were protected to a greater extent than normally caged mice. This suggests that AHCC may be even more effective when there are defects in the immune system.

These observations also highlight an important feature of AHCC: it is an immunomodulator. This means that it supports the immune system in its needs according to the individual condition of its balance. It will always help move the immune system in the direction of balance. For example, we have seen that AHCC stimulates the secretion of cytokines like TNF (tumor necrosis factor) in test animals as well as human cancer patients. However, TNF is a marker of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, and AHCC will lower TNF if the body’s imbalance leans toward too much inflammation. Another interesting aspect of Dr. Yui’s research is the fact that the anti-inflammatory hormone leptin also plays a key role in fat metabolism and even appetite. Preliminary experimental trials show that there is the possibility of using AHCC both for inflammatory diseases and even for weight control.

The thymus gland is a central organ of the immune system. Breakdown of thymus tissue (thymic apoptosis) indicates impaired effectiveness of the immune system. Researchers at Dokkyo University in Japan used a drug to cause breakdown of thymus gland tissue in rats and found that AHCC prevents damage to the thymus tissue. Because there was a delay in the protective effect of AHCC, they concluded that the mechanism was the influence of AHCC on regulating the balance of chemical messengers or the prevention of damage from oxidative stress, but this effect of protecting the thymus gland has been clearly observed, but is not yet fully explained.

A study on avian flu was conducted at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the South China Agricultural University. The H5N1 virus was administered nasally to two groups of mice, one group pre-treated with AHCC. The death rate was recorded from 14 days after infection and the post-infection survival rates were compared between the two groups. All mice in the untreated control group were dead by the 11th day post-infection. In the AHCC-treated group 20% of the mice were still alive 21 days post-infection. In the control group 50% were dead at the end of 8 days. In the AHCC group the 50% mark was the 11th day. AHCC significantly raised the survival rate, and even after re-infection with the virus on the 21st and 28th days after treatment the survival rate stayed at 20-30%. . A second study combined AHCC with a vaccine made from inactivated avian flu virus to test its properties as an adjuvant for immunization of laboratory mice. The rate of survival using the vaccine alone was 80%, but with AHCC supplementation the survival rate was. 100%! AHCC alone can be considered as a preventive treatment for avian flu infection but it may be even more useful as a vaccine adjuvant.

A study at the Department of Surgery at Kansai Medical University ion Osaka, Japan on healthy volunteers may have revealed a fundamental mechanism of how AHCC activates immunity. Other studies have shown that AHCC activates white blood cell activity in cancer patients, but this double-blind, placebo-controlled study on healthy subjects identified the effect of AHCC on dendritic cells as a primary mechanism of stimulation of immunity. We know that B cells and T cells (Band T lymphocytes) are the mediators of immunity, but their function is under the control of dendritic cells. Dendritic cells capture and process antigens (disease-causing proteins) and carry them to the lymphoid organs, such as the spleen and lymph nodes, and secrete cytokines to induce an immune response. When tissues are damaged by malignancy, dendritic cells migrate there, capture cancer antigens and secrete the cytokine IL-12 to initiate an effective immune response to the tumor. Within the 4 weeks of the study period, AHCC clearly stimulated an increase in the number of dendritic cells compared to a placebo group. The stimulatory activity of the dendritic cells was also increased. These results strongly suggest that AHCC is useful in increasing immune competence.

See PDF for full study

Mice supplemented with AHCC and infected with influenza demonstrated a dose-dependant increase in survival and reduction in the loss of body weight than those of the non-supplemented mice.

See PDF

See PDF

Nutritional Food Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) Enhances Resistance Against Bird Flu.

Rats recieved AHCC daily starting 2 days before colitis induction and were killed 6 days later. The status of the rats was assessed by morphological and biochemical methodsl The effect of AHCC on the colonic microflora was also assesed by studying the bacterua profile in feces by standard culture techniques.

Oxidative stress is a term to describe damaging effects of oxygen on normal cells. The effects of oxidative stress are like a type of “biological rust.” It has widespread effects in the aging process including the production of “free radicals,” and “reactive oxygen species” (ROS), which are unstable and can attach to tissues and damage them. Antioxidants are used to support the normal regulation of cells. A diet rich in antioxidants, especially vegetables and fruits is recommended along with various antioxidant supplements, including vitamins. Research at Dokkyo University School of Medicine has shown that AHCC protects against oxidative stress. Rats were given a powerful oxidant used in research to induce oxidative stress and ROS. This chemical (Ferric nitrilotriacetate) can cause cancer and damage various organs, especially the kidney and liver. The effects of the oxidant chemical were measured in four ways: (1) Urinary 8-OHdG: a marker of oxidative stress to DNA and a risk factor for cancer, atherosclerosis and diabetes; (2) creatinine, a marker of kidney damage; (3) Serum AST and ALT, markers of liver damage; (4) Thymic apoptosis, a marker for loss of immunity. Pre-treatment with AHCC showed protective effects with all four of these factors. In the pre-treated rats the urinary 8-OHdG was significantly lower; the serum creatinine was restored to normal in the AHCC group. The liver damage markers were significantly decreased in the AHCC group and thymic apoptosis was much lower. These results suggest a wide-ranging, high level of protection from oxidative stress.

Inflammation is part of a normal healing process for maintaining normal body function, but chronic inflammation that doesn’t resolve is a major cause of pain, tissue damage and chronic, degenerative diseases. Inflammation is found in such diverse disorders as asthma, arthritis, allergies and heart disease. Anti-inflammatory drugs have been a source of many uncomfortable side effects. Steroids cause damage to immunity, the liver and can cause many uncomfortable side effects, including exhaustion and irritability. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) also have severe side effects, especially bleeding in the stomach and intestines. The newer COX-2 inhibitors had dangerous side effects to the heart. Doctors using AHCC have noticed what appear to be anti-inflammatory effects of AHCC and it has been used in informal experiments. Dr, Satoru Yui of Teikyo University Department of Pharmacology found that AHCC increases levels of an anti-inflammatory hormone called leptin. He also showed that AHCC inhibited production of the inflammatory cytokine TNF (tumor necrosis factor) and decreased levels of another inflammatory marker, calprotectin. Dr. Yui has reported anti-inflammatory effects in cases of skin inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis.

There is evidence that AHCC could have a preventive effect on diabetes. Both oxidative stress and inflammation may play a role in Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes. Inflammation seems to interfere somehow with the efficient use of insulin and inflammation may also cause breakdown in the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Dr. Koji Wakame, of the Dokkyo University School of Medicine used a drug to induce diabetes in rats. Rats given the drug STZ (Streptozotocin) were compared with rats given the drug but pre-treated for one week with AHCC. The group treated with STZ alone lost weight, lost fur, which had a poor general appearance, increased their water intake, a typical diabetic symptom and had a decrease in insulin and a corresponding rise in blood sugar level. Blood markers indicating stress on the liver were also elevated. In the AHCC-treated group, the general quality of the rats’ appearance was normal, with no fur loss and a slight weight gain. Also in the AHCC-treated rats, water intake was not increased, serum insulin levels were normal and blood sugar remained fairly stable. The liver markers also remained normal in the AHCC-treated group. Microscopic examination of the insulin-producing cells in the rats’ pancreas revealed a decreased number of the cells in the STZ-only group and only a slightly decreased number in the group treated with STZ and AHCC. The conclusion of the study was that AHCC can have a significant effect in preventing the onset of diabetes by protecting the pancreas cells that produce insulin.

AHCC is well tolerated even by elderly subjects according to a recent study. AHCC was tested with healthy volunteers in a study conducted by a team of researchers from Harvard, Yale and Amino Up Chemical Company. The volunteers were given a slightly higher dose than normal of the supplement in liquid form. Although a small number of the subjects experienced temporary stomach discomfort and headache, these effects were mild and lasted only a short time. No abnormalities were found in any of the subjects according to blood tests.

See PDF

In this study, the MHC dependancy of IL-12 production induced by various mycelial extracts, PSK, AHCC and IL-X, was examined.

This study seeks to determine whether AHCC can improve the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients following surgical treatment.

See PDF

See PDF

Recent work using animals to study the effects of space fligh tconditions on the immune system will be highlighted in this review.

Medical researchers at Yale University together with researchers in Japan have confirmed that the mushroom-based supplement AHCC boosts the immune system in a way that can prevent cancer in elderly people. AHCC is used in over 700 clinics and hospitals in Japan alone to protect the immune system of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. The new research shows that there are substantial benefits to the immune system even in an elderly population. The scientists measured the production of two cytokines, interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) by the white blood cells. Cytokines are chemical messengers used by the immune system to communicate between cells. Interferon (IFN-γ), which has both tumor reduction and tumor prevention properties, is the most famous cytokine. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) can boost a person’s immune response, and can also cause necrosis (cell death) of some types of tumor cells. Tumor necrosis factor is being studied in the treatment of some types of cancer. This research shows that the natural production of these immune-boosting and cancer-preventive cytokines by white blood cells increased within four weeks of taking the recommended dose of AHCC. It also shows that the immune-enhancing effect persisted for at least a month after stopping the daily dose. This research helps explain the mechanism by which AHCC prevents immune system collapse in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy.

See PDF

Researchers at Amino Up Chemical and Yale University tested the effect of AHCC on immune surveillance in cancer. In test animals, oral administration of AHCC significantly delayed melanoma formation and reduced tumor size. The anti-tumor effect is not limited to melanoma, however, because there was also a significant inhibiting effect on lymphoma cell lines. Malignant tumors have the ability to fool the immune system so that immune cells do not detect the presence of abnormal cells and therefore do not react to them. Restoring immune surveillance means that tumor cells are “unmasked” and the immune system becomes able once again to detect and destroy them. White blood cells called lymphocytes, and interferon secreted by them, are necessary for the immune system to be able to detect tumors. They found that AHCC significantly increases tumor-antigen specific immune cells and their ability to produce interferon (gamma-interferon: IFN-γ). The researchers indicated that there are a number of possible ways that AHCC could accomplish this, but the important fact is that their research confirms the tumor-reducing ability of AHCC through another immune mechanism.

In a study conducted by the Kansai Medical University in Japan, AHCC was administered to 127 patients with gastric and breast cancers over a period of 3 years. At the end of the period, the Mean Survival Rates (MSRs) of the patients taking AHCC were compared with the average survival times found among patients with the same profile. The study found that the Stage III and IV patients in the AHCC group had more than 40% higher mean survival rates than the average patient without the benefit of supplementation.

In 1992 Mamdooh Ghoneum, Ph.D. of Drew University of Medicine and Science, observed that AHCC increased Natural Killer (NK cell) cell activity in cancer patients. He tested mice to see if this could be repeated in controlled research conditions. The results showed a significant increase in NK cell activity in the mice. This effect was observed as early as 2 days and maintained at high levels with continuous administration of the AHCC. Next, 11 randomized patients with different types of advanced cancer were chosen to participate in research to test the immunosurveillance properties of AHCC. They found that all of the patients had low NK cell activity and that 9 out of the 11 had marked increases as early as two weeks after treatment began. This is important because NK cells are a primary mechanism in cancer surveillance and tumor reduction. The effect of increased NK cell activity continued at a high level for a sustained period.

Japanese researchers in partnership with researchers at University of California at Davis studied the combined effect of AHCC with GCP (Genistein Combined Polysaccharide), a fermented soybean isoflavone product with cancer-inhibiting properties. Both AHCC and GCP acted to inhibit the growth of several cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Although both substances have cancer cell inhibiting properties the combined effect was more powerful. A synergistic effect with the combined substances was observed in suppressing tumor growth in cancer-bearing mice. As in the cancer cell lines, the inhibitory effects were observed in groups with either AHCC or GCP alone, but the effect was more obvious in the AHCC plus GCP group. When the treatment was stopped, the size of the tumors rapidly increased. If treatment was resumed tumor growth was again suppressed.

A true test of the efficacy of a treatment is if it helps late-stage cancer patients. Researchers in Thailand studied the use of AHCC with liver cancer patients at advanced stages. 44 patients were randomized and divided into an AHCC group, taking 6 grams a day, and a control group taking a placebo. The patients were examined once a month for quality of life, blood tests related to liver function, blood tests to measure immune system function and an MRI. After a month and a half, 50% of the control group had died. At the end of 3.5 months 100% had died but 61.5% of the AHCC group was still alive. The researchers stopped enrolling patients in the control group on ethical grounds and gave all of the participants AHCC because it was immediately clear that AHCC significantly increased survival time. The study showed that the median patient survival time was twice as high in the AHCC group as in the control group. The results suggested that AHCC not only increased the probability of longer survival, but also improved quality of life. Patients taking AHCC also reported improved quality of life based on the two key QOL parameters: “general physical health” and “ability to have normal activities.” The blood test values for liver function also did not deteriorate as rapidly in the AHCC group. In all of the patients, levels of interferon were too low to measure, but other immune factors showed a slight increase or remained stable until the last two months of life.

Supressive Effect of Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) on Thymic Apoptosis Induced by Dexamethasone in the Rat.

For 7 years, surgery patients who recieved a histopathological diagnosis of gastric or colon cancer were treated with AHCC as a postoperative adjunctive therapy.

See PDF

See PDF

In a previous trial at Comfort Clinic, 38 advanced-stage cancer patients with solid tumors were treated with AHCC and subjected to analysis of their immune system activity over a year and a half. They measured several immunological values as well as clinical factors. For the immune system they measured NK cell (scavenger cells) activity, interferon (IFN-γ) and IL-12 production. For clinical evaluation, they measured performance status. Performance status is the measure used to quantify cancer patients' general well-being. and is also used as a measure of quality of life (QOL). The results of taking AHCC were a significant increase in NK cell activity, significant increases in production of interferon and IL-12 and increased performance status. They concluded that improvement of performance status, and therefore quality of life, was connected with improved immune system functioning stimulated by using AHCC.

See PDF

Active Hexose Correlated Compund Enhances Tumor Surveillance Through Regulating Both Inate and Adaptive Immune Responses.

Interactions between drugs and even foods and other natural substances are an important new field of study, especially in the area of cancer treatment. Some drugs increase or decrease the activity of some of detoxifying enzymes in the liver. If these enzymes are inhibited, a drug can accumulate to dangerously toxic levels causing an overdose. On the other hand, if enzyme levels are increased (this is called “induction”), blood plasma levels of a drug might decrease to a low and ineffective level. These interactions with the detoxifying system can affect the choice of chemotherapy drugs or even the dosage level. AHCC is known to be well tolerated with no reported adverse effects. A team of Researchers from University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Amino Up Chemical Company in Japan studied the effects of AHCC on important liver detoxification pathways. They studied important liver enzymes involved in drug metabolism cytochrome P-450 family of enzymes); this is a pathway through which many chemotherapy drugs are metabolized. The results showed that AHCC is unlikely to cause increased toxicity when combined with chemotherapy or supportive therapies, such as antidepressants and anti-nausea medications. AHCC does increase the activity of one single detoxification pathway. Further investigation is required to see if there is any interaction between AHCC and one type of drug that uses this pathway.

The animal studies on AHCC have shown similar clinical outcomes and similar effects on the immune system as in the available human studies. Research on the synergistic effect of using AHCC with conventional chemotherapy in a breast cancer model using rats showed that AHCC can increase the effectiveness of this type of conventional therapy. The most important finding in this study was that the combination of AHCC plus the drug inhibited metastasis of the cancer to distant organs and the lymph nodes. One of the problems of many types of chemotherapy is that it suppresses immune system activity. They found that the cancer drug, UFT (tegafur and uracil), slows down NK cell activity. NK cells are white blood cells that destroy cancer cells. AHCC combined with UFT restored NK cell activity and other immune factors to normal levels. Tumor size was significantly decreased in the AHCC plus UFT group but not in the UFT alone or control groups. Survival rates were significantly increased in the AHCC plus UFT group compared to UFT alone. AHCC was also found to induce white blood cells to increase nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide is an important messenger molecule involved in many physiological and pathological processes, and is beneficial in some types of cancer.

See PDF

Best of Naturpathy.

See PDF

The possibility that AHCC could reduce the side effects of cisplatin was assessed in the tumour-bearing BALB/cA mice on the basis of the ability to ameliorate the cisplatin-induced body weight loss, anorexia, nephrotoxicity and hematopoietic toxcicity.

A 269-patient study published in the prestigious Journal of Hepatology compared the outcomes of 113 post-operative liver cancer patients taking AHCC with 156 patients in the control group. The study found that the rate of recurrence of malignant tumors was significantly lower (34% versus 66%) and patient survival was significantly higher in the AHCC group (80% vs. 52%). This study helped put AHCC “on the map” internationally. Not only is the Journal of Hepatology a well respected journal, but the research was high quality, and it was carried out over an extended period of time with very significant numbers of cancer patients carefully followed-up and monitored. The level of speculation was low because actual survival figures were recorded and the patients had all been carefully observed internally at the time of surgery with photographs of tumors and lesions

Carbon tetrachloride is a very toxic, harsh chemical that is used in research to create an experimental hepatitis model. In mice with liver injury, typical symptoms include weight loss, loss of appetite, elevated inflammatory enzymes and swelling of the liver. A group that took AHCC along with carbon tetrachloride showed less swelling, fewer fatty deposits in the liver, a significantly lower level of inflammatory enzymes, higher levels of drug metabolizing enzymes, and normal levels of hormone metabolizing enzymes. There was also less weight loss and apparent loss of appetite in the AHCC-treated group.

Another well-known marker of inflammation is called CRP (c-reactive protein). Researchers in Thailand gave terminal liver cancer patients 3 grams a day of AHCC. Thailand has the highest rate of liver cancer in the world. After 6 months of taking AHCC, liver function tests returned to normal. In addition, the levels of CRP also returned to normal and rose again if the AHCC dosage was stopped in all 28 of the tested patients. C-reactive protein (CRP) is high when there are infections, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis and some cancers. Inflammation also plays an important role in cardiovascular disease. In cardiovascular disease, there is a strong relationship between circulating CRP, heart attacks and strokes. AHCC has demonstrated its ability to reduce inflammation, and the resulting high levels of CRP. It is possible that the anti-inflammatory properties of AHCC can prevent many diseases caused by an unresolved inflammatory process. Several of the previous studies showed that AHCC can increase nitric oxide production. In the case of cardiovascular disease, nitric oxide production has significant benefits: Nitric oxide protects the blood vessels’ smooth muscle tissue from harmful constriction. This allows the flexibility necessary for blood to circulate with less pressure. It regulates platelet function: and prevents formation of dangerous clots. Nitric oxide also reduces arterial plaque. It is an effective antioxidant that reduces the underlying inflammation that causes plaque to deposit. Nitric oxide also lowers cholesterol through its antioxidant activity.

In this study, the possibility of AHCC regulation of nitric oxide production by inducible nitric oxide synthase was pursued as a potential liver-producing machanism.

See PDF

Ferric nitrilotriacetate, which generates hydroxyl radicals in vivo, was given to rats and AHCC was tested for it's ability to suppress oxidative stress and the activity of ornithine decarboxylase in the liver and kidney

Another study on mice subjected to spaceflight conditions was designed to figure out how AHCC strengthens resistance to infection in this research model. They found that AHCC increases the secretion of certain cytokines that protect cellular immunity, including interferon, and an increase in nitric oxide production, which has a beneficial effect in controlling bacterial infections.

The objective of this study was to clarify the mechanisms by which AHCC increases survival in a mouse model of intramuscular infection.

Medical research in recent years has shown an important link between stress and immunity. If we have stress over a long time period or a significant trauma, it has been shown to be an important factor in infection. The main cause of “late death” after a trauma is infection. This means that if the trauma itself was not lethal, the damage to the immune system causes a severe vulnerability to breakdown resulting in a potentially fatal infection. The first step was to see what effects AHCC might have on the direct effects of stress in the body. Immobilization creates psychological stress that is measured by blood levels of adrenalin and noradrenalin, the flight or fight hormones, blood sugar and the brain chemical dopamine. Rats subjected to immobilization for several hours were tested for these stress indicators. A group of rats pre-treated with AHCC had normal blood sugar levels, normal levels of flight or fight hormones and normal dopamine levels.

There are no reliable treatments for epidemic viral infections. That’s why threat of infections like bird flu and West Nile virus cause such an uproar in the media and urgent warnings from governments and public health officials. Antibiotics are not of use in treating viral infections even though thousands of people get prescriptions for them for common respiratory infections in winter, which are almost always viral. For years clinicians observed that AHCC appeared to be effective for preventing and treating common infections. Influenza is the most common of the possibly dangerous viral infections. Influenza rates are highest in young children who do not yet have fully developed immune systems. It is also a significant cause of death in the population aged 65 and older. In children, without immunity to previous exposure to influenza virus NK (“Natural Killer” scavenger white cells) cell activity is an important source of protection. Depletion of NK cells increases the rate of mortality in mice infected with influenza. A study at Drexel University showed that AHCC increased the rate of survival of young mice with influenza infection. AHCC-treated mice also showed less weight loss. Lung virus levels were also reduced in the AHCC-treated group. Lung tissue showed rapid signs of healing and restoring the mucous membranes. The mice treated with AHCC also showed stronger NK cell activity. AHCC has been reported to increase the number of NK cells in aged mice. Future studies may show whether NK cell activity is increased in aged immune systems but there is already evidence that it increases activity in cancer patients.

In this study, young and aged mice were given AHCC or water, followed by the West Nile Virus. AHCC- treated mice had a reduced mortaility rate than those administered water.

The objective of this study was to test the prophylactic effects of oral administration of ahcc, a natural immunoenhancer, on survival in a mouse model of surgical soft tissue infection.

The relation between stress and immunity has been studied extensively with various types of stressors. One unusual type of stress is that experienced in spaceflight conditions. Researchers at Morehouse School of Medicine used a model that simulates spaceflight in mice. One of the effects of stress from spaceflight is impaired immune response and resistance to infection. Mice subjected to these conditions similar to spaceflight were infected with the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes pneumonia and other diseases and is often antibiotic-resistant. Klebsiella tends to occur in people with weakened immune systems or underlying chronic diseases. The conclusion of the study was that mice pre-treated with AHCC followed by continued treatment with AHCC were significantly safer from death from Klebsiella infection. Greater effects from AHCC were found in mice that had suppressed immunity. Mice treated with AHCC were protected to a greater extent than normally caged mice. This suggests that AHCC may be even more effective when there are defects in the immune system.

These observations also highlight an important feature of AHCC: it is an immunomodulator. This means that it supports the immune system in its needs according to the individual condition of its balance. It will always help move the immune system in the direction of balance. For example, we have seen that AHCC stimulates the secretion of cytokines like TNF (tumor necrosis factor) in test animals as well as human cancer patients. However, TNF is a marker of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, and AHCC will lower TNF if the body’s imbalance leans toward too much inflammation. Another interesting aspect of Dr. Yui’s research is the fact that the anti-inflammatory hormone leptin also plays a key role in fat metabolism and even appetite. Preliminary experimental trials show that there is the possibility of using AHCC both for inflammatory diseases and even for weight control.

The thymus gland is a central organ of the immune system. Breakdown of thymus tissue (thymic apoptosis) indicates impaired effectiveness of the immune system. Researchers at Dokkyo University in Japan used a drug to cause breakdown of thymus gland tissue in rats and found that AHCC prevents damage to the thymus tissue. Because there was a delay in the protective effect of AHCC, they concluded that the mechanism was the influence of AHCC on regulating the balance of chemical messengers or the prevention of damage from oxidative stress, but this effect of protecting the thymus gland has been clearly observed, but is not yet fully explained.

A study on avian flu was conducted at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the South China Agricultural University. The H5N1 virus was administered nasally to two groups of mice, one group pre-treated with AHCC. The death rate was recorded from 14 days after infection and the post-infection survival rates were compared between the two groups. All mice in the untreated control group were dead by the 11th day post-infection. In the AHCC-treated group 20% of the mice were still alive 21 days post-infection. In the control group 50% were dead at the end of 8 days. In the AHCC group the 50% mark was the 11th day. AHCC significantly raised the survival rate, and even after re-infection with the virus on the 21st and 28th days after treatment the survival rate stayed at 20-30%. . A second study combined AHCC with a vaccine made from inactivated avian flu virus to test its properties as an adjuvant for immunization of laboratory mice. The rate of survival using the vaccine alone was 80%, but with AHCC supplementation the survival rate was. 100%! AHCC alone can be considered as a preventive treatment for avian flu infection but it may be even more useful as a vaccine adjuvant.

A study at the Department of Surgery at Kansai Medical University ion Osaka, Japan on healthy volunteers may have revealed a fundamental mechanism of how AHCC activates immunity. Other studies have shown that AHCC activates white blood cell activity in cancer patients, but this double-blind, placebo-controlled study on healthy subjects identified the effect of AHCC on dendritic cells as a primary mechanism of stimulation of immunity. We know that B cells and T cells (Band T lymphocytes) are the mediators of immunity, but their function is under the control of dendritic cells. Dendritic cells capture and process antigens (disease-causing proteins) and carry them to the lymphoid organs, such as the spleen and lymph nodes, and secrete cytokines to induce an immune response. When tissues are damaged by malignancy, dendritic cells migrate there, capture cancer antigens and secrete the cytokine IL-12 to initiate an effective immune response to the tumor. Within the 4 weeks of the study period, AHCC clearly stimulated an increase in the number of dendritic cells compared to a placebo group. The stimulatory activity of the dendritic cells was also increased. These results strongly suggest that AHCC is useful in increasing immune competence.

See PDF for full study

Mice supplemented with AHCC and infected with influenza demonstrated a dose-dependant increase in survival and reduction in the loss of body weight than those of the non-supplemented mice.

See PDF

See PDF

Nutritional Food Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) Enhances Resistance Against Bird Flu.

Rats recieved AHCC daily starting 2 days before colitis induction and were killed 6 days later. The status of the rats was assessed by morphological and biochemical methodsl The effect of AHCC on the colonic microflora was also assesed by studying the bacterua profile in feces by standard culture techniques.

Oxidative stress is a term to describe damaging effects of oxygen on normal cells. The effects of oxidative stress are like a type of “biological rust.” It has widespread effects in the aging process including the production of “free radicals,” and “reactive oxygen species” (ROS), which are unstable and can attach to tissues and damage them. Antioxidants are used to support the normal regulation of cells. A diet rich in antioxidants, especially vegetables and fruits is recommended along with various antioxidant supplements, including vitamins. Research at Dokkyo University School of Medicine has shown that AHCC protects against oxidative stress. Rats were given a powerful oxidant used in research to induce oxidative stress and ROS. This chemical (Ferric nitrilotriacetate) can cause cancer and damage various organs, especially the kidney and liver. The effects of the oxidant chemical were measured in four ways: (1) Urinary 8-OHdG: a marker of oxidative stress to DNA and a risk factor for cancer, atherosclerosis and diabetes; (2) creatinine, a marker of kidney damage; (3) Serum AST and ALT, markers of liver damage; (4) Thymic apoptosis, a marker for loss of immunity. Pre-treatment with AHCC showed protective effects with all four of these factors. In the pre-treated rats the urinary 8-OHdG was significantly lower; the serum creatinine was restored to normal in the AHCC group. The liver damage markers were significantly decreased in the AHCC group and thymic apoptosis was much lower. These results suggest a wide-ranging, high level of protection from oxidative stress.

Inflammation is part of a normal healing process for maintaining normal body function, but chronic inflammation that doesn’t resolve is a major cause of pain, tissue damage and chronic, degenerative diseases. Inflammation is found in such diverse disorders as asthma, arthritis, allergies and heart disease. Anti-inflammatory drugs have been a source of many uncomfortable side effects. Steroids cause damage to immunity, the liver and can cause many uncomfortable side effects, including exhaustion and irritability. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) also have severe side effects, especially bleeding in the stomach and intestines. The newer COX-2 inhibitors had dangerous side effects to the heart. Doctors using AHCC have noticed what appear to be anti-inflammatory effects of AHCC and it has been used in informal experiments. Dr, Satoru Yui of Teikyo University Department of Pharmacology found that AHCC increases levels of an anti-inflammatory hormone called leptin. He also showed that AHCC inhibited production of the inflammatory cytokine TNF (tumor necrosis factor) and decreased levels of another inflammatory marker, calprotectin. Dr. Yui has reported anti-inflammatory effects in cases of skin inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis.

There is evidence that AHCC could have a preventive effect on diabetes. Both oxidative stress and inflammation may play a role in Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes. Inflammation seems to interfere somehow with the efficient use of insulin and inflammation may also cause breakdown in the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Dr. Koji Wakame, of the Dokkyo University School of Medicine used a drug to induce diabetes in rats. Rats given the drug STZ (Streptozotocin) were compared with rats given the drug but pre-treated for one week with AHCC. The group treated with STZ alone lost weight, lost fur, which had a poor general appearance, increased their water intake, a typical diabetic symptom and had a decrease in insulin and a corresponding rise in blood sugar level. Blood markers indicating stress on the liver were also elevated. In the AHCC-treated group, the general quality of the rats’ appearance was normal, with no fur loss and a slight weight gain. Also in the AHCC-treated rats, water intake was not increased, serum insulin levels were normal and blood sugar remained fairly stable. The liver markers also remained normal in the AHCC-treated group. Microscopic examination of the insulin-producing cells in the rats’ pancreas revealed a decreased number of the cells in the STZ-only group and only a slightly decreased number in the group treated with STZ and AHCC. The conclusion of the study was that AHCC can have a significant effect in preventing the onset of diabetes by protecting the pancreas cells that produce insulin.

AHCC is well tolerated even by elderly subjects according to a recent study. AHCC was tested with healthy volunteers in a study conducted by a team of researchers from Harvard, Yale and Amino Up Chemical Company. The volunteers were given a slightly higher dose than normal of the supplement in liquid form. Although a small number of the subjects experienced temporary stomach discomfort and headache, these effects were mild and lasted only a short time. No abnormalities were found in any of the subjects according to blood tests.

See PDF

In this study, the MHC dependancy of IL-12 production induced by various mycelial extracts, PSK, AHCC and IL-X, was examined.

This study seeks to determine whether AHCC can improve the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients following surgical treatment.

See PDF

See PDF

Recent work using animals to study the effects of space fligh tconditions on the immune system will be highlighted in this review.