lentinan + didanosine

Lentinan + didanosine is an experimental combination therapy investigated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Lentinan is a beta-1,3-glucan polysaccharide derived from the shiitake mushroom (*Lentinus edodes*) that functions as an immunomodulator and biological response modifier. It enhances the host immune response by stimulating the production and activity of helper T-lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells. Didanosine (ddI) is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) that inhibits HIV replication by competing with natural deoxyadenosine triphosphate and causing viral DNA chain termination. In Phase II clinical trials conducted in the 1990s, the addition of weekly intravenous lentinan to daily oral didanosine therapy was shown to significantly increase and sustain CD4+ T-cell counts in HIV-positive patients compared to didanosine monotherapy. While didanosine is an FDA-approved antiretroviral, the combination with lentinan was primarily developed in research settings and did not reach widespread commercial use for HIV.

Other names

lentinan + ddI