β-glucans: wide-spectrum immune-balancing food-supplement-based enteric (β-WIFE) vaccine adjuvant approach to COVID-19

Abstract

Conventional vaccines to combat COVID-19 through different approaches are at various stages of development. The complexity of COVID-19 such as the potential mutations of the virus leading to antigenic drift and the uncertainty on the duration of the immunity induced by the vaccine have hampered the efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, we suggest an alternative interim treatment strategy based on biological response modifier glucans such as the Aureobasidium pullulans AFO-202-derived β-glucan, which has been reported to induce trained immunity, akin to that induced by the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine, by epigenetic modifications at the central level in the bone marrow. These β-glucans act as pathogen-associated molecular patterns, activating mucosal immunity by binding with specific pathogen recognition receptors such as dectin-1 and inducing both the adaptive and innate immunity by reaching distant lymphoid organs. β-Glucans have also been used as immune adjuvants for vaccines such as the influenza vaccine. Therefore, until a conventional vaccine is widely available, an orally consumable vaccine adjuvant that acts like biosimilars, termed as the wide-spectrum immune-balancing food-supplement-based enteric (β-WIFE) vaccine adjuvant approach, with well-reported safety is worth in-depth investigation and can be considered for a clinical trial.

Beneficial effects of novel strains of Aureobasidium pullulans produced 1,3-1,6 β-glucans on non-esterified fatty acid levels in diabetic KKAy mice

“…The copyright holder for this preprint this version posted July 23, 2021. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.22.453362 doi: bioRxiv preprint cytokines [17] without over-activation. The beta glucans are capable of eliciting a unique immune response, binding directly with immune cells such as macrophages and, importantly, downregulating the abnormal macrophages while activating the normal macrophages [18][19][20].…”

Therapeutic and Industrial Applications of Curdlan With Overview on Its Recent Patents

“…Although SARS-CoV-2 is primarily a respiratory virus, the viral host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is found in the cytoplasm of gastrointestinal epithelial cells, and the viral nucleocapsid protein is found in the cytoplasm of rectal, duodenal, and gastric epithelial cells, suggesting that the intestine may play a role in COVID-19 pathogenesis and may be a possible route of infection. β-glucans with immune effects in the intestine could thus be a beneficial supplementation method for the COVID-19 treatment ( 90 ). A β-glucan extract from the edible shiitake mushroom Lentinus edodes was recently confirmed to have a differential in vitro immunomodulatory and pulmonary cytoprotective effects, suggesting that it may be used to treat COVID-19.…”

Improvement of sleep patterns and serum melatonin levels in children with autism spectrum disorders after consumption of beta-1,3/1,6-glucan in a pilot clinical study

“…A previous study showed that when rats were fed an extract consisting of a mix of rice bran and Sarcodon aspratus (mushroom), which contained beta-glucan, melatonin levels were upregulated in the blood serum of rats [7,8]. In addition, clinical research reports have revealed the bene cial effects of Nichi Glucan, a beta-1,3/1,6-glucan food supplement derived from the Aureobasidium pullulans strain AFO-202, on metabolic disorders [9,10], and cancer [11,12], and as a suggested vaccine adjuvant for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) [13]. In our pilot clinical study, we explored the effects of Nichi Glucan on the sleep patterns and serum melatonin levels in children with ASD.…”