• Reishi active ingredients, ganoderic acids and other triterpenes, suppressed or inhibited the growth: that is cell proliferation and colony formation; and invasive behavior (adhesion, migration and invasion) of highly invasive breast cancer cells.

• Tumors are a colony of cancer cells. They grow as each cell divides itself up and produce a brand new cancer cell. This study demonstrated that nutrients found in Reishi stops the breast cancer cells from duplicating themselves by arresting the growth cycle of the cancer cells.

• Furthermore, the study also showed that the Reishi acids can prevent the breast cancer from becoming invasive by blocking the signalling system that makes the breast cancer cells highly invasive.

Int J Mol Med 2008 May;21(5):577-84. Ganoderic acids suppress growth and invasive behavior of breast cancer cells by modulating AP-1 and NF-kappaB signaling. Jiang J, Grieb B, Thyagarajan A, Sliva D. Cancer Research Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.

BREAST AND PROSTATE CANCER'S HIGHLY INVASIVE NATURE

• Reishi fruit body and spores was also shown to inhibit the activation of receptors in highly invasive breast and prostate cancer cells resulting in the suppression of the migration of these cancer cells. The study demonstrated that there are receptors that are activated in both breast and prostate cancer cells that make them highly invasive and aggressive leading to metastasis.

• The fruit body and spores used in the study yielded active ingredients that suppressed the motility of these highly invasive cancer cells.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2002 Nov 8; 298(4):603-12. Ganoderma lucidum suppresses motility of highly invasive breast and prostate cancer cells. Sliva D, Labarrere C, Slivova V, Sedlak M, Lloyd FO jr, Ho NW. Cancer Research Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute, 1800 N Capitol Avenue E504, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.

• Reishi was shown to inhibit the proliferation of prostate cancer cells by arresting the cell cycle at the G2/M phase. Reishi stops the duplication of prostate cancer cells by stopping the cells from getting ready to duplicate... at the Metaphases.

• Furthermore, Reishi was also shown to induce APOPTOSIS, which is programmed cell death. Each cell, both normal or malignant, has the ability to program cellular death. This is a process called apoptosis and it happens when the cells are aged. What Reish is able to do is trigger this process PREMATURELY in the prostate cancer cells stopping an further growth.

Int J Oncol 2004 May; 24(5):1093-9. Ganoderma lucidum inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells PC-3. Jiang J, Slivova V, Valachovicoca T, Harvey K, Sliva D. Cancer Research Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute, E504, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.

• Ganoderic acids induces apoptosis or PREMATURE cell suicide in metastatic lung tumor cells by causing the mitochondria or energy generators of the cell to malfunction. Cancer cells depend on energy production to keep on multiplying and growing. Active ingredients found in Reishi causes the energy generators to fail resulting in premature cell death or APOPTOSIS.
  

•  It also suppressed the growth of the lung tumor by arresting the cell duplication cycle at the G1 phase. This prevents the cells from getting ready to duplicate itself.
  

Life Sci. 2006 Dec 23;80(3):205-11. Epub 2006 Sep 6. Ganoderic acid T from Ganoderma lucidum mycelia induces mitochondria mediated apoptosis in lung cancer cells. Tang W, Liu JW, Zhao WM, Wie DZ, Zhing JJ. State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.

• Reishi blocks the 5alpha-reductase receptors, these are the receptors that are stimulated by the chemical DHT, a by-product of testosterone and cause the prostate to grow.
  

• Ganoderol B in Reishi down-regulates the signals that makes the prostate to grow and suppresses the effect of the androgens on the gland, as well as helps lower the PSA (Prostatic specific antigen) levels, a well-accepted prognostic indicator of prostate cancer.

 Bioorg Med Chem 2007 Jul 15;15(14):4966-72. Epub 2007 Apr 25. The anti-androgen effect of ganoderol B isolated from the fruiting body of Ganoderma lucidum. Liu J, Shimizu K, Konishi F, Kumamato S, Kondo R. Department of Forest and Forest Products Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.

• Prostate cancer secretes TWO GROWTH factors that causes the growth of new blood vessels to form towards the tumor and then to feed its cells exclusively.
  

• In this study, Reishi was shown to reduce the release of these growth factors that resulted in a significant reduction of the blood supply to the prostate tumor.