Immunomodulatory and Anti-cancer Properties of Pharmacologically Relevant Mushroom Glycans

The review of patents reveals that for decades, mushrooms have been regarded as an ethnic medicine and widely used in the treatment of various life-threatening diseases. One of the most important bioactive compounds isolated from these mushrooms are polysaccharides or glycans which exhibit potential immunomodulatory and anticancer properties. The immune stimulating properties of these glycans are linked to their origin, structure, composition, water solubility and conformations in solution. Moreover, modification of glycans to increase its size to a particulate form has also shown significant increase in its activity. Glycans are regarded as pathogen associated molecu- lar pattern (PAMP) like molecules which bind to specific pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on the surface of immune cells. This binding induces the activation of a signaling cascade that directs the synthesis of a repertoire of immune effector molecules. Anticancer effects of glycans have been mostly associated with an increased immune activity while few cases are available which advocate its direct role on cancer cells. This review thereby provides a comprehensive outlook on the structure-function relationship of these pharmacologically relevant mushroom glycans.