Antitumor and Immunomodulatory Activities of Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharides in Glioma

Malignant gliomas are the most common brain tumors with high rates of recurrence and mortality. Novel approaches are in research, and immunotherapy emerges as a promising strategy. Recently, scientific attention has been focused on Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GL-PS), one of the critical bioactive components of G lucidum, which have been recognized as a promising natural source of immunomodulatory and anticancer compounds. It remains unknown whether the GL-PS have any immunomodulatory and anticancer effects on brain glioma. This study was designed to identify and characterize the antitumor action and influence of immune system of GL-PS in glioma-bearing rats. Results showed that GL-PS increased the concentration of serum interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ, and enhanced the cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells and T cells, promoting the functional maturation of dendritic cells, thus resulting in the inhibition of glioma growth and prolonged survival of rats. Therefore, GL-PS may be potentially useful as part of the treatment regimen to regulate host immune responses and increase the antitumor effects of immunotherapy for glioma