It is believed that a weak immune system is partially responsible for the development of cancer, as the body is less able to defend against mutated cells multiplying and spreading. MGN-3 is made from enzymatically treated rice bran and the mushrooms shitake, kawaratake and surehrotake. MGN-3 claims to stimulate the immune system by increasing the body's production of cytokynes, which increase lymphocytes; B cells, which come from bone marrow; T cells, which come from the thymus gland; and NK cells, which stands for natural killer. NK cells make up 15 percent of the white blood cells and are responsible for circulating through the blood stream and destroying viral and bacterial infections and cancerous cells.
MGN-3 Overview
MGN-3 was developed by Hiroaki Meada in 1992. He was the director of research and development at Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Tokyo. The product name comes from the last name initials of its developers -- Maeda, Ghoneum and Ninomiya. As a professor at Drew University of Medical and Science on Los Angeles, Mamdooh Ghoneum was responsible for much of the immunological research on the product MHN-3. Daiwa Pharmaceuticals marketed the MGN-3 product as BioBran.
How It Works
Complex carbohydrates, such as plant fibers, can have stimulating effects on the immune system. Rice bran has anti-viral properties and the fiber of certain mushrooms has been shown to enhance the response of the immune system. Often, plant fiber immune benefits remain unrealized, as the molecules are too large and mostly indigestible. MGN-3 contains rice bran molecules that are broken down into smaller components, thus making them more absorbable, allowing them to beneficially affect the immune system.
Claims Questioned
Even though the manufacturer of MGN-3 claims to have shown, with proper studies, the products effectiveness in treating cancer patients, Dr. Stephen Barrett questions these studies as they lacked certain controls. The studies did not examine the results of patients taking MGN-3 compared to those with similar cancer who did not take the product. The key question of whether MGN-3 has a positive influence on tumor growth and survival was not studied and therefore not answered. To date, no such study has been published. Subsequently, the complex arabinoxylan, in MGN-3, has only been tested to increase the immune response of mice, not humans.
No Proof
It is illegal to make health claims about a product without clear-cut evidence. The producers of MGN-3 market the product as an anti-cancer supplement. In 1999, the FDA filed a lawsuit against Lane Labs, the manufacturers of MGN-3. In 2001, the Mississippi Attorney General issued a cease-and-desist order to stop the distribution of MGN-3 because of the product's cancer curing claims. Today, BioBran MGN-3 is marketed as "a dietary supplement that can increase immune function." Dr. Barrett remains skeptical as to whether MGN-3 has any value. As of early 2011, there was no scientific evidence to prove that MGN-3 is beneficial in the treatment of cancer.
