Recently Diagnosed or Relapsed? Stop Looking For a Miracle Cure, and Use Evidence-Based Therapies To Enhance Your Treatment and Prolong Your Remission
Multiple Myeloma an incurable disease, but I have spent the last 25 years in remission using a blend of conventional oncology and evidence-based nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle therapies from peer-reviewed studies that your oncologist probably hasn't told you about.
Click the orange button to the right to learn more about what you can start doing today.
- You are here:
- Home »
- Blog »
- Multiple Myeloma »
- Enhance Myeloma Immune Function w/ Mushrooms
Enhance Myeloma Immune Function w/ Mushrooms
Is it possible to enhance myeloma immune function with mushrooms? According to the research linked below, yes it is.
As I’ve written about before, chemotherapies used to manage MM can have the effect of exhausting the immune system. As MM survivors know, relapse follows remission over and over again until patients reach multi drug resistance or MRD status. The MM survivors blood cancer no longer responds to treatment and they are overwhelmed either by their MM or succumb to infection due to an exhausted immune system.
How do mushrooms enhance our immune system?
Which FDA approved therapies for multiple myeloma cause immunodeficiency in patients?
Several FDA-approved therapies for multiple myeloma (MM) can cause immunodeficiency due to their mechanisms of action, leading to increased susceptibility to infections. These include:
1. Immunomodulatory Drugs (IMiDs)
- Lenalidomide (Revlimid)
- Pomalidomide (Pomalyst)
- Thalidomide (Thalomid)
Mechanism of Immunodeficiency: - Suppress T-cell and NK cell function, increasing infection risk.
- Cause lymphopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia (low antibody levels).
- Increase risk of opportunistic infections (e.g., Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia).
2. Proteasome Inhibitors (PIs)
- Bortezomib (Velcade)
- Carfilzomib (Kyprolis)
- Ixazomib (Ninlaro)
Mechanism of Immunodeficiency: - Impair dendritic cell and T-cell function.
- Inhibit antibody production by plasma cells.
- Increase risk of viral reactivations, such as herpes zoster.
3. Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs)
- Daratumumab (Darzalex) – Targets CD38
- Isatuximab (Sarclisa) – Targets CD38
- Elotuzumab (Empliciti) – Targets SLAMF7
Mechanism of Immunodeficiency: - Daratumumab & Isatuximab deplete CD38+ immune cells, reducing T-cell and NK cell function.
- Elotuzumab affects NK-cell activation.
- Increase risk of bacterial and viral infections (e.g., respiratory infections).
4. Anti-BCMA Therapies
- Belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep) – Anti-BCMA antibody-drug conjugate
- Cilta-cel (Carvykti) – CAR-T therapy targeting BCMA
- Idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma) – CAR-T therapy targeting BCMA
Mechanism of Immunodeficiency: - BCMA-targeting therapies deplete plasma cells, reducing immunoglobulin (Ig) levels.
- CAR-T therapies cause prolonged B-cell depletion and cytokine release syndrome (CRS), increasing susceptibility to infections.
- Patients often require IVIG replacement therapy.
5. Alkylating Agents (Chemotherapy)
- Melphalan – Used in autologous stem cell transplantation
- Cyclophosphamide
Mechanism of Immunodeficiency: - Cause bone marrow suppression, leading to neutropenia and lymphopenia.
- Reduce immune cell production, increasing the risk of bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.
6. Corticosteroids
- Dexamethasone
- Prednisone
Mechanism of Immunodeficiency: - Suppress T-cell function and inflammation.
- Increase risk of opportunistic infections (e.g., Pneumocystis jirovecii, fungal infections).
I am a long-term MM survivor. When I found a study that explained that over 50% of MM patients die from infection I realized that immunodeficiency caused by chemotherapy is a serious side effect.
Like supporting bone, kidney, etc. health, I think MM patients should support their immune system with evidence-based non-conventional therapies such as mushrooms.
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Immune Modulation From Five Major Mushrooms: Application to Integrative Oncology
“This review discusses the immunological roles of 5 major mushrooms in oncology:
- Agaricus blazei,
- Cordyceps sinensis,
- Grifola frondosa,
- Ganoderma lucidum,
- and Trametes versicolor.
These mushrooms were selected based on the body of research performed on mushroom immunology in an oncology model.
First, this article focuses on how mushrooms modify cytokines within specific cancer models and on how those cytokines affect the disease process.
Second, this article examines the direct effect of mushrooms on cancer. Finally, this article presents an analysis of how mushrooms interact with chemotherapeutic agents, including their effects on its efficacy and on the myelosuppression that results from it.
For these 5 mushrooms, an abundance of in vitro evidence exists that elucidates the anticancer immunological mechanisms. Preliminary research in humans is also available and is promising for treatment…
Mushrooms are reported to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular-protective, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and anticancer properties. It is well-established that mushrooms are adept at immune modulation and affect
- hematopoietic stem cells,
- lymphocytes, macrophages,
- T cells,
- dendritic cells (DCs),
- and natural killer (NK) cells.1
Extensive research over the last 40 years has demonstrated that mushrooms have potent antineoplastic properties that slow growth of tumors, regulate tumor genes, decrease tumoral angioneogenesis, and increase malignant-cell phagocytosis. Additionally, evidence suggests that medicinal mushrooms may safely boost chemotherapeutic efficacy and simultaneously protect against bone marrow suppression…
Cancer Immunology
One of the myriad effects of mushrooms occurs through their ability to stimulate cytokine production. Cytokines are small, soluble proteins that act as intracellular mediators in an immune response. In the effort to understand cytokine responses and the interrelationships between cytokines, one approach has been to characterize a certain set of cytokines for responses to different situations…
enhance myeloma immune function with mushrooms enhance myeloma immune function with mushrooms enhance myeloma immune function with mushrooms