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Beta-glucan

Beta-glucan has been studied in 8 papers since 2016: 1 trial and 2 observational studies in people, 2 in animals, 1 in cells, 2 reviews. The newest paper, Sep 26, 2025: “Aging-related decline in the liver and brain is accelerated by refined diet consumption”.

Intervention

8 papers study it7 findingsUpdated

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

  • 2 independent labs in 1 country
  • Funders: National Institutes of Health and 8 more
  • Human trial1
  • Humans2
  • Animals2
  • Cells1

What did studies of Beta-glucan find?

7

Studies of Beta-glucan measured 7 outcomes; the most studied are phagocytosis (1 study), bacterial clearance (1) and resistance to infection (1).

Phagocytosis

upin mice1

1 study

  1. Beta-glucan increases phagocytosis in mice.

    “young and aged trained macrophages displayed heightened metabolic capacity and improved antimicrobial functions, including enhanced phagocytosis and respiratory burst.”

    AnimalsPseudomonas aeruginosa infectionmacrophage

    Trained immunity enhances host resistance to infection in aged mice

    Journal of leukocyte biology

More on Phagocytosis

Bacterial clearance

upin mice1

1 study

  1. Beta-glucan increases bacterial clearance in mice.

    “augmented bacterial clearance”

    AnimalsPseudomonas aeruginosa infection

    Trained immunity enhances host resistance to infection in aged mice

    Journal of leukocyte biology

Resistance to infection

upin mice1

1 study

  1. Beta-glucan improves resistance to infection in mice.

    “β-glucan equally augmented the host resistance to infection in both young and aged mice.”

    AnimalsPseudomonas aeruginosa infection

    Trained immunity enhances host resistance to infection in aged mice

    Journal of leukocyte biology

mTOR signaling

upin human cells1

1 study

  1. Beta-glucan activates mTOR signaling in human cells.

    “Dectin-1 stimulation induced a strong upregulation of MTORC1 signaling in all cohorts, although increased in the HIV-Older cohort (stimulation and baseline).”

    Cellsin all cohorts, although increased in the HIV-Older cohort

    Dectin-1 stimulation promotes a distinct inflammatory signature in the setting of HIV-infection and aging

    Aging

More on mTOR signaling

Inflammation

upin human cells1

1 study

  1. Beta-glucan induces inflammation in human cells.

    “Stimulation of monocytes with β-D-glucans induced a pro-inflammatory phenotype in monocytes of HIV-infected individuals that was characterized by increased levels of IL-12, TNF-α, and IL-6”

    Cellsin monocytes of HIV-infected individuals

    Dectin-1 stimulation promotes a distinct inflammatory signature in the setting of HIV-infection and aging

    Aging

More on Inflammation

Histone modification and chromatin remodeling

upin human cells1

1 study

  1. Beta-glucan increases histone modification and chromatin remodeling in human cells.

    “increased H3K27 acetylation, and upregulation of crucial intracellular signaling pathways in trained monocytes from healthy aging subjects”

    Cellshealthy aging

    Trained Immunity Enhances Human Monocyte Function in Aging and Sepsis

    Frontiers in immunology

More on Histone modification and chromatin remodeling

Cytokines

upin human cells1

1 study

  1. Beta-glucan increases cytokines in human cells.

    “We observed increased metabolic capacity, upregulated cytokine secretion, increased H3K27 acetylation, and upregulation of crucial intracellular signaling pathways in trained monocytes from healthy aging subjects.”

    Cellshealthy aging

    Trained Immunity Enhances Human Monocyte Function in Aging and Sepsis

    Frontiers in immunology

More on Cytokines

Funding

1 grant since 2023

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

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