Development of a Method Shown to Reduce Cancer Metastasis in Animal Models

Dr. Jun Yan, chief of the division of immunotherapy of the Department of Surgery and leader of the Brown Cancer Center (BCC) program in immuno-oncology and researchers in the division of immunotherapy have developed a method shown to reduce cancer metastasis in animal models.  The findings were published January 5 in “Nature Immunology.”  The researchers successfully trained immune cells to combat the cancer using whole beta-glucan particles.  Beta glucan is a polysaccharide found in yeast, bacteria, plants and foods.  They discovered that infusing beta-glucan trained immune cells into tumor-bearing mice controlled tumor metastasis, opening a new avenue for cancer immunotherapy.