β-
Glucans are
polysaccharides of β-
D-glucose extracted from the cell walls of different species of mushrooms, yeast, oat, barley, seaweeds, algae and bacteria. Modern biomedical research has identified β-
glucans as
biological response modifiers (BRM) with anti-
tumor properties that elicit potent immune responses through their recognition by a variety of
pattern recognition receptors (
PRRs) on dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages and neutrophils.
Complement receptor-3 (CR3),
lactosylceramides,
scavenger receptors and
dectin-1 are involved in β-
glucan recognition, triggering a series of signaling events that modulate innate and subsequently adaptive immune responses. β-
Glucan binding to specific receptors in DCs and macrophages triggers their activation and maturation, increases their antigen-presentation ability and enhances the production of proinflammatory
cytokines that stimulate the polarization of TH1 or TH17 responses, and induces the activation of
antigen-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Moreover, large β-
glucans can be degraded by macrophages into smaller moieties, when released, prime
CR3 receptor on neutrophils and natural killer (NK) cells mediating CR3-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (CR3-DCC) of
iC3b opsonized
tumor cells. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of β-
glucan-induced signaling in immune cells is essential for the design of new therapeutic strategies against
cancer. Future studies should be done to translate β-
glucan research to the clinic.