docetaxel + polysaccharide-K

Docetaxel + PSK is an investigational combination therapy consisting of the chemotherapeutic agent docetaxel and the immunomodulatory mushroom extract polysaccharide-K (PSK), also known as Krestin. Docetaxel is a taxane-class small molecule that inhibits microtubule depolymerization, thereby disrupting mitosis and inducing apoptosis in rapidly dividing cancer cells. PSK is a protein-bound polysaccharide derived from Trametes versicolor (Coriolus versicolor) mushrooms with demonstrated immunomodulatory and antitumor properties; it enhances immune responses by stimulating natural killer (NK) cells and T lymphocytes. Preclinical studies suggest that combining PSK with docetaxel augments tumor suppression compared to either agent alone by increasing tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, enhancing NK cell cytolytic activity, promoting apoptosis in tumor tissue, and reducing chemotherapy-induced leukopenia. This combination has been studied primarily in preclinical models of prostate cancer but has also been explored alongside standard chemotherapy regimens for other solid tumors[1][2].

Brand names

KrestinTaxotere

Other names

docetaxel + PSKdocetaxel plus polysaccharide-Kdocetaxel plus Krestindocetaxel plus Coriolus versicolor extract