Comprehensive mechanisms and advanced delivery strategies of lentinan in antitumor therapy: A review.

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Citation abstract

Lentinan (LNT) is a bioactive polysaccharide derived from shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes). It exhibits a unique triple-helix structure and specific glycosidic bonds, which confer exceptional water solubility and gel-forming properties. This review summarizes the latest research progress of LNT in antitumor application. LNT exhibits remarkable antitumor activity through dual mechanisms. First, it modulates immunity by activating the Dectin-1 receptor, thereby enhancing immune responses. Second, it directly suppresses tumors by inducing apoptosis, inhibiting proliferation, and blocking key oncogenic pathways such as JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/AKT. Additionally, LNT shows potent antioxidant effects through free radical scavenging and antioxidant gene regulation, offering protection against oxidative stress-related diseases including cancer. In therapeutic applications, LNT serves as an effective stabilizer in drug delivery systems, enhances targeted therapy when conjugated with nanomaterials, and exhibits synergistic effects with chemotherapeutics (cisplatin, gemcitabine, docetaxel) to improve efficacy while reducing toxicity. This review focuses on introducing the mechanism of action of LNT, the application of drug delivery and combined therapy, as well as future research directions. The aim is to provide scientific basis and reference for related research and drug development.