β 1, 3-Glucan in Cancer Treatment

Natural products, useful in preventing and/or treating various diseases, have been sought after throughout the man’s history. Despite some problems inherited from the natural source of glucans, there is extensive literature about their activities in animal tumor models. For the past 25 years, Japan has used several forms of mushroom-derived glucans in treating cancer patients. Additionally, close to twenty clinical trials are currently running in several countries, further suggesting the strong possibility of using glucans as an established anti-cancer drug.