Mycelcaps - effective immune support

There is currently great interest in using foods to support the immune system - especially those that are thought to have specific physiological benefits are being studied, and scientists are trying to confirm this effectiveness in clinical studies. One such dietary supplement is manufactured by Amino, a biotechnology company in Sapporo, Japan. It is AHCC® - a patented trademark extract with a trademark that provides the immune system with natural support. AHCC® has been studied for various uses and described in more than 100 scientific publications.

Kentaro Kitadate, President and Chief Operating Officer of Amino Up, believes that AHCC® has great potential to support the health of the population : "Our intention is to explore the power of nature and stimulate the natural potential we have in our bodies."

Foods that affect immunity

The immune system is crucial for our health, it protects e.g. against viruses, bacteria, toxins. as we age, our defenses weaken. Researchers are looking for ways to increase human immunity and help not only the aging population. Amino Up has also been working to improve immunity for over 35 years. The intention is to support and increase the natural ability of foods that have a positive effect on human health. "In traditional Chinese medicine, mushrooms are used to support immunity," says kohei Homma, CEO of Amino Up.

AHCC, a key amino up product, was launched in 1987 based on an evaluation of more than 100 different types of mushrooms and after systematic testing of production optimization. It is derived from shiitake fungal mycelium cells and is slowly cultured with a unique mixture of nutrients for almost two months. It consists of a mixture of predominantly polysaccharides which, according to researchers from Amino Up in the European Journal of Nutrition, stimulate specific receptors located on human immune cells in the gut and recognize foreign pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. "AHCC® is able to modulate and improve non-specific immune functions in our body for a number of risk factors," says Kohei Homma.

Search for HPV treatment options

One of the promising uses of aHCC® is that it helps the immune system fight human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This infection is relatively common, but if it persists, it can lead to cervical cancer, one of the most common cancer diagnoses in women worldwide. "Even though we have HPV vaccines, there are few treatment options for existing high-risk cases," says Homma. Research conducted by Judith A. Smith of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and funded by Amino Up has shown that AHCC® helps manage HPV infection in cervical cancer cell lines. The same team conducted a preliminary clinical study of 10 women persistently infected with high-risk HPV, which was so encouraging that it led to more extensive clinical trials. Dr. Smith is now conducting a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 50 women with persistent, high-risk HPV infection, with results expected to be published during 2021.

Interest in alternatives is growing

Amino up has also funded laboratory studies that have revealed that aHCC® is effective in activating immune cells against West Nile virus, influenza and bird flu. The company also began working with the University of Texas to assess how AHCC® could help fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Interest in alternative approaches to maintaining a resilient immune system is growing. Amino Up believes that the potential of AHCC® is worth exploring in the face of the growing problem of antibiotic resistance worldwide. According to a survey commissioned by the UK government, by 2050, bacteria resistant to all available antibiotics are expected to be responsible for more deaths than cancer. Kohei Homma believes that aHCC® supports the immune system, allows the body to better fight infections and can reduce the use of antibiotics: "AHCC® stimulates our natural defenses, does not go through the same mechanism as the antibiotic and therefore no resistance should occur." The vision of amino up is to succeed in making aHCC® as a daily nutritional supplement to maintain the immunity of the whole family. Today, the substance is supplied to tens of thousands of people in 40 countries around the world and demand is still growing. "We may just be a small company in Japan," says kohei Homma, "but we mean it with innovation."