Enhancing Natural Killer Cell Activity

Abstract

AbstractBiobran/MGN-3, a unique natural product extracted from rice bran, can strengthen immune health by enhancing the activity of natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells play a crucial role in the first line of defense against cancer and viral infections, but they are suppressed during aging, and low NK cell activity is linked with cancer. Over the last 25 years, studies have shown that Biobran/MGN-3 can enhance this suppression of NK cell activity and furthermore that it has superior effects in comparison with other biological response modifiers (BRMs). Biobran/MGN-3 has been shown to restore the aging-induced NK cell immune suppression of aged mice to normal levels, and it enhanced NK cell activity in human geriatric subjects participating in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. In addition, Biobran/MGN-3 has been shown to exert significant anticancer effects in several studies of mice and rats bearing tumor as well as in human clinical trials against several types of malignancies by a mechanism that involved enhancement of NK cell activity. The molecular mechanisms underlying Biobran/MGN-3’s effect on NK cell activity involve increasing the granular content of NK cells and increasing the expression of key cell surface receptors such as adhesion molecule ICAM-1 and the activation-associated receptors CD25 and CD69. Biobran/MGN-3 has no toxicity or side effects, and unlike many other BRMs, its long-term effects are not limited by hyporesponsiveness. This report describes the superiority of Biobran/MGN-3 as a BRM that enhances NK cell activity, followed by evidence showing how Biobran/MGN-3 can improve lives by reversing aging-induced and cancer-induced NK cell suppression.KeywordsBiobran/MGN-3CancerAgingBiological response modifierImmunomodulatorICAM-1