Medicinal Plant Research 2024, Vol.14, No.6, 358-370 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 367 Figure 3 Schematic of wild Cordyceps polysaccharide inhibited the proliferation of H22 cell (Adopted from Tan et al., 2023) Mechanistic studies have confirmed that modified Cordyceps polysaccharides exert anti-tumor effects through multiple pathways, including activating the immune system (such as promoting macrophage and lymphocyte activity, stimulating cytokine secretion), inducing cell apoptosis, and regulating oxidative stress. In addition, these polysaccharides can also regulate intestinal microbiota and enhance mucosal immune function, thus further expanding their therapeutic potential. Although the results of preliminary experimental studies are encouraging, Cordyceps polysaccharides still face many challenges in clinical transformation, such as low industrial production yield, differences in extraction and purification methods, incomplete understanding of its biosynthesis and regulatory mechanisms, and lack of a standardized quality control system. In addition, there are no large-scale, rigorously designed human clinical trials, which limits the confirmation of its safety and effectiveness. The next research may focus on the combined application of Cordyceps polysaccharides, such as using them with commonly used chemotherapy drugs, or using nano-delivery systems to improve their utilization efficiency and targeting effect in the body. On the other hand, new technologies such as gene editing, liquid fermentation and molecular breeding are also worthy of attention. They can not only promote the large-scale production of Cordyceps polysaccharides, but also lay a good foundation for them to enter the functional food and drug market while ensuring the stability of active ingredients. Acknowledgments The authors sincerely thank Dr. Zhang for reviewing the manuscript and providing valuable suggestions, which contributed to its improvement. Additionally, heartfelt gratitude is extended to the two anonymous peer reviewers for their comprehensive evaluation of the manuscript. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors affirm that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Reference Bi S., Huang W., Chen S., Huang C., Li C., Guo Z., Yang J., Zhu J., Song L., and Yu R., 2020, Cordyceps militaris polysaccharide converts immunosuppressive macrophages into M1-like phenotype and activates T lymphocytes by inhibiting the PD-L1/PD-1 axis between TAMs and T lymphocytes, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 150: 261-280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.02.050 Bi S., Jing Y., Zhou Q., Hu X., Zhu J., Guo Z., Song L., and Yu R., 2018, Structural elucidation and immunostimulatory activity of a new polysaccharide from Cordyceps militaris, Food & Function, 9(1): 279-293. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7fo01147d
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