Mushroom B-Glucans & cellular immune enhancement

β-Glucans have been shown to activate pattern recognition receptors expressed on immune cells, such as macrophages, dendritic cells, neutrophils and lymphocytes [1,3]. Additionally, the enhancement of natural killer (NK) cell activity by β-glucan has been reported to play an important role in immune potency and to have anti-carcinogenic effects in in vitro and in vivo studies [4,5]. The immune stimulation and antitumoral activities of these β-glucans have been thought to be caused only by the β-1,3-glucans [6]. However, several types of β-1,3-glucans from different sources have been shown to result in a variety of different immune responses.

https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ezproxy.une.edu.au/pubmed/28194264​