Mushroom extract may help in clearance of HPV infections

Daily use of a mushroom extract supported the immune system in clearing human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, according to researchers with UTHealth Houston.

The study has been published in Frontiers in Oncology.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (1R03CA212935).

"Our results show that AHCC® supplementation may help most patients eliminate their HPV infection and may decrease the long-term risk of HPV-related cancers," said Judith A. Smith, PharmD, lead researcher on the study and professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. "Through this study, as well as multiple other studies, our research has shown that the AHCC supplement is safe."

AHCC or active hexose correlated compound is a proprietary mushroom extract.

The study focused on women with a minimum two-year history of persistent high-risk HPV. Patients in the treatment group received the supplement AHCC for six months, followed by six months of a placebo. Patients in the placebo group received a placebo for 12 months. The study found that 14 of 22 patients (63.6%) in the treatment arm became HPV-negative.