Future Mushroom Research Shifts focus from the Immune System to Hormone Regulation

After the vast number of published studies demonstrating Agaricus blazei can stimulate a variety of important immune cells and their signaling molecules (cytokines), scientists have decided to look beyond the immune system to explain the health benefits offered by certain mushrooms.

Currently, there are human studies being conducted at the City of Hope Research Hospital in Duarte, California. There scientists are studying a “cousin” of Agaricus blazei, known as Agaricus bisporus, a mushroom in the genus Agaricus. Prior enzymatic assays done at City of Hope on isolated cells, have shown that Agaricus bisporus as well as Agaricus blazei inhibited the activity of enzymes aromatase and 5- alpha-reductase, enzymes responsible for the production of estrogen and dihydrotestosterone, respectively. Scientists have deemed this finding very intriguing and worth further study, due to the fact that elevated levels of estrogen and dihydrotestosterone have been strongly associated with various serious health conditions.

Reference:
Chen S, Oh SR, Phung S, Hur G, Ye JJ, Kwok SL, Shrode GE, Belury M, Adams LS, Williams D (December 2006). "Anti-aromatase activity of phytochemicals in white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)". Cancer Res. 66 (24): 12026–34. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-2206. PMID 17178902