Immunostimulant oxidized β-glucan conjugates

• Published in: International immunopharmacology 2001-03, Vol.1 (3), p.539-550
• Main Authors: Cross, G.G, Jennings, H.J, Whitfield, D.M, Penney, C.L, Zacharie, B, Gagnon, L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic - chemistry; Adjuvants, Immunologic - isolation & purification; Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; Animals; B-Lymphocytes - drug effects; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Carbohydrate Sequence; Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes; Female; glucans; Glucans - chemistry; Glucans - isolation & purification; Glucans - pharmacology; Humans; Immunomodulators; Immunostimulant; In Vitro Techniques; Killer Cells, Natural - drug effects; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Macrophages - drug effects; Macrophages - immunology; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Molecular Sequence Data; Natural killer cells; Oxidation; Oxidation-Reduction; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - chemistry; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; β-Glucan
• ISSN: 1567-5769; 1878-1705
• DOI: 10.1016/S1567-5769(00)00021-7

β-Glucans are polysaccharides that act as nonspecific immune system stimulants. However, many β-Glucans are sparingly soluble in water. This work describes an oxidative procedure, which solubilizes the β-Glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and maintains its immunostimulatory properties. Furthermore, the carboxylates at the site of oxidation allow for the conjugation of small molecule immunostimulants. Both the parent oxidized β-glucan and its conjugates with O-β-alanyl-5-[6-( N, N′-dimethylamino)purin-9-yl]pentanol stimulate cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), B cells and macrophages. In addition, they both stimulate natural killer (NK) cells, a property which the small molecule purine does not possess.