TUSCON, ARIZ. - March 27, 2002 - Research supporting the potential of yeast WGP Beta Glucan to stimulate the immune system of laboratory mice against anthrax infection and cancer was presented to healthcare professionals last weekend at the American Nutraceutical Association's Spring Symposium, "The Role of Nutraceuticals and Nutrition in Disease Prevention."
WGP Beta Glucan is a patented form of a natural complex carbohydrate called yeast beta 1,3 glucan whose efficacy as an immune system enhancer is supported by a large body of animal and human research spanning decades. The new research, entitled "Orally Administered WGP Beta Glucan Prophylactically Protects Against Anthrax Infection and Cancer in Mice," has been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. [See list of authors below.]
"This research is encouraging because it provides preclinical support for the fact that the protective characteristics of yeast WGP Beta Glucan can be achieved when administered orally," said Vaclav Vetvicka, Ph.D., an Associate Professor at the Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Immunology and Immunopathology of the School of Medicine, University of Louisville. "Much of the earlier research on beta 1,3 glucans was focused on systemically administered treatments.
In one experiment, 100 percent of anthrax-infected mice treated with oral WGP Beta Glucan seven days prior to infection survived, compared with 50 percent of the mice in the control group. A separate study using a colon cancer model showed a significant decrease (23%) in tumor weight and volume in mice that were treated daily with oral WGP Beta Glucan after 21 days. The treated mice were found to have increased levels of three different cytokines (IL-2, IFN-γ and TNF-α) known to enhance the anti-tumor immune response.
About the Researchers
Vaclav Vetvicka, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the Department
of Pathology, Division of Experimental Immunology and
Immunopathology of the School of Medicine, University of Louisville,
Louisville, Kentucky.
http://www.louisville.edu/medschool/pathology
/research/immuno/index.htm
Bill Kournikakis, Ph.D. is a scientist in the Chemical and
Biological Defence section at Defence Research Establishment
Suffield, Alberta, Canada.
http://www.dres.dnd.ca
Rosemonde Mandeville, M.B. ChB. Ph.D. is President and Chief
Executive Officer of Biophage Pharma.Inc., Montreal.
http://www.biophage.com
Pauline Brousseau, Ph.D. is Director of CRO and Special Programs at Biophage Pharma Inc.
Gary Ostroff, Ph.D. is Vice President of Research & Development and
Chief Scientist at Biopolymer Engineering, Inc., Eagan, Minnesota.
http://www.biopolymer.com
Kiyomi Terayama, Ph.D., Department of Pathology, Tokyo Dental College, Ichikawa General Hospital, Ichikawa City Chiba Prefecture, Japan.