The natural product chitosan enhances the anti-tumor activity of natural killer cells by activating dendritic cells.

ABSTRACT: Natural products comprise an important class of biologically active molecules. Many of these compounds derived from natural sources exhibit specific physiologic or biochemical effects. An example of a natural product is chitosan, which is enriched in the shells of certain seafood that are frequently consumed worldwide. Like other natural products, chitosan has the potential for applications in clinical medicine and perhaps in cancer therapy. Toward this end, the immunomodulatory or anti-cancer properties of chitosan have yet to be reported. In this study, we discovered that chitosan enhanced the anti-tumor activity of natural killer (NK) cells by activating dendritic cells (DCs). In the presence of DCs, chitosan augmented IFN-γ production by human NK cells. Mechanistically, chitosan activa

SUBMITTER: Li X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5980345 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature