beta-glucan

Beta-glucan is an oral polysaccharide immunostimulant derived from yeast (*Saccharomyces cerevisiae*) being developed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma. It is administered as a key component of a multi-agent immunotherapy regimen that includes a bivalent ganglioside vaccine (targeting GD2 and GD3) and the immunological adjuvant OPT-821 (QS-21). The mechanism of action involves binding to the lectin site of the Complement Receptor 3 (CR3, also known as Mac-1 or CD11b/CD18) on the surface of innate immune cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and natural killer cells. This binding primes these effector cells to trigger antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against tumor cells that have been opsonized by antibodies induced by the vaccine. This approach is specifically aimed at eliminating minimal residual disease and preventing relapse in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma who have achieved complete remission after standard frontline therapy.

Other names

β-glucanoral beta-glucanyeast-derived beta-glucan1,3-1,6-beta-glucan