Verification of ability of fucoidan to mitigate side effects of anti-cancer treatment

Anti-cancer agents are a generic term for medicines that have the ability to kill cancer cells. They are used to cure cancer by destroying cancer cells, to shrink tumors before surgery to facilitate resection, or to prevent recurrence or postoperative metastasis.
There are various types of anti-cancer agents with differing levels of efficacy, but most of them have side effects. This is because anti-cancer agents affect not only cancer cells but also normal cells. Immune cells, in particular, are also targeted by these agents.
Furthermore, the immune system becomes impaired while trying to repair organs damaged by anti-cancer drugs. Weakened immune function is at the core of these side effects. Therefore, if it is possible to enhance the immune system's performance after being weakened by anti-cancer drugs, it may help mitigate their side effects.


Using mice models treated with an anti-cancer agent, we evaluated the ability of Fucoidan Mix AG to mitigate the side effects of anti-cancer treatment.

Experimental Procedure
To create models for anti-cancer agent-induced side effects (specifically immunosuppression), mice were administered the anti-cancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) five times on alternate days. A separate group of mice was given physiological saline without 5-FU to serve as a control for evaluating the immune system under non-treatment conditions.

Each of these two groups was further divided into two subgroups (for a total of four groups): one subgroup received a standard (control) diet, and the other received a diet containing Fucoidan Mix AG, concurrently with the anti-cancer treatment. After 12 days, immune cells were extracted from the spleens of the mice, and various immune parameters were measured.

Effects of Fucoidan Mix AG on anti-cancer drug side effects
More than one indices indicated that the immunity that had weaken by the use of anti-cancer agents, rose after taking Fucoidan Mix AG.

We are conducting research on fucoidan, whose various physiological functions have been elucidated, including 'anti-tumor,' 'cholesterol-lowering,' 'blood pressure-lowering,' and 'anti-virus' effects.