Symposium Highlights Yale Study Indicating Role Of AHCC(R) For Immune System Enhancement And As A Promising Cancer Preventative

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials;  Conferences
Article Date: 20 Sep 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The 16th International AHCC(R) (Active Hexose Correlated Compound) Symposium was held in Sapporo, Japan on July 26th and 27th. The Symposium hosted by the AHCC Research Association was attended by over 300 medical doctors and researchers from around the world that presented and discussed research studies completed with AHCC. Individuals attending this year's event included representatives from Harvard Medical School, Yale University School of Medicine and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Significant preliminary findings from a Yale School of Medicine clinical study were presented. Researchers at Yale, in collaboration with researchers in Japan, have confirmed that AHCC significantly enhances the immune system in a manner that may prove significant for healthy immune function and as a cancer preventative for older Americans.

Study participants were normal healthy individuals 50 years or older and were provided AHCC for 60 days. Scientists measured the production of two key cytokines -- Interferon (IFN-y) and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-alpha) -- at the baseline, 30 days and 60 days. These two cytokines are believed to serve a major role in the body's natural method of preventing the formation and spread of abnormal and cancerous cells.

Yale researchers then measured the levels of these cytokines in the blood. Results demonstrated that the production of these cytokines by white blood cells increased within four weeks of taking the recommended dose of AHCC. The study also showed that the immune-enhancing effect of AHCC persisted for at least a month after stopping the daily dose. The results of this study not only confirmed the efficacy of the compound but also helped explain one of the mechanisms by which AHCC enhances the immune system.

The two keynote presentations from researchers in Japan focused on the value of AHCC in cancer therapy. Professor Emeritus Masuo Hosokawa of Hokkaido University gave an overview of the completed research on the effects of AHCC in reducing the side-effects of chemotherapy. The second keynote featured Professor Emeritus Yasuo Kamiyama of Kansai Medical University whose research investigated AHCC as a complementary therapy to pharmaceuticals in post-operative cancer patients along with cancer patients having additional complications.

A scientific review study soon to be published in the upcoming Nutritional Reviews Journal was presented by Dr. Barry Ritz of Drexel University's Department of Biotechnology. The paper gave an overview of the research studies -- published in peer-reviewed journals -- on the positive effect of AHCC on the influenza virus, the avian "bird flu" virus (H5N1), the West Nile virus, the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the Klebsiella pnuemoniae and the Candida albicans viruses. It was reported that supplementation with AHCC modulated immunity and delivered positive results in response to acute infections.

"AHCC continues to demonstrate its essential role for healthy immune function," said Fred Pescatore, M.D., M.P.H., of the Center for Integrative and Complementary Medicine, and medical director for the U.S. AHCC Research Association in response to the research presented at this year's Symposium.

AHCC has been the subject of over 80 research studies worldwide including studies completed at Harvard University's Faulkner Hospital, Yale University and Columbia University Medical Center. Research has demonstrated that AHCC enhances the immune system by increasing the activity of white blood cells.

What is AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound)?

AHCC is derived from the hybridization of several subspecies of medicinal mushroom, cultivated in Japan and then produced from a specialized manufacturing process. AHCC is the leading immune-enhancing supplement in Japan and is utilized by over 700 hospitals and healthcare facilities worldwide as a standard preventative supplement for incoming patients to help reduce the risk of hospital infections as well as supporting the body's fight against the formation of abnormal cells.

AHCC is manufactured by Amino Up Chemical Company in Sapporo, Japan and is distributed in the United States by Maypro Industries. Maypro sells AHCC to a number of leading supplement companies including Quality of Life Laboratories, a subsidiary of Maypro.

The AHCC Research Association was founded in 1986 to promote further study. Each year since 1994, over 300 medical doctors and researchers have gathered in Sapporo, Japan for the AHCC Research Association Symposium to share and discuss the latest developments.

To learn more about AHCC, visit the AHCC Research Association Web site at http://www.ahccresearch.com

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or mitigate disease.

AHCC Research Association
http://www.ahccresearch.com