Beta-glucan

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ONC-001013",
  "term": "Beta-glucan",
  "field": "Oncology and biomedicine",
  "definitions": [
    "A substance found in bacteria, plants, and certain foods, such as baker’s yeast, cereal grains, and mushrooms. It is a type of polysaccharide that is made of a string of glucose (sugar) molecules joined together. Beta-glucan may stimulate the immune system and help kill cancer cells. It is being studied in the treatment of cancer. It is a type of biological response modifier.",
    "A polysaccharide isolated from the cell walls of bacteria, plants, and fungi with immunostimulant and antineoplastic activities. In a solubilized form, beta-glucan binds to a lectin site within complement receptor 3 (CR3) on leukocytes, priming the receptor to trigger cytotoxic degranulation of leukocytes when leukocyte CR3 binds to complement 3 (iC3b)-coated tumors. Thus, the attachment of beta-glucan to CR3 of circulating leukocytes simulates leukocytes to kill iC3b-coated tumor cells in the same way as they kill iC3b-coated yeast."
  ],
  "abbreviation": "b-GLUC",
  "references": [
    "NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms",
    "National Cancer Institute Thesaurus"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/oncology/beta-glucan/"
}