Ah Young Park1, Imane Nafia2, Damien N. Stringer1, Samuel S. Karpiniec1 and J. Helen Fitton3
1Marinova Pty Ltd., Cambridge, TAS7170, Australia
2Explicyte Immno-Oncology, 33000 Bordeaux, France
3RDadvisor, Hobart, TAS7006, Australia
Fucoidans are a class of brown seaweed-derived, fucose rich sulfated polysaccharides that are known to have direct and indirect effects on cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we investigated the effect of fucoidan extracts from Fucus vesiculosus, Undaria pinnatifida and Macrocystis pyrifera on ex vivo human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), to determine their cancer cell killing activity on a hormone resistant prostate cancer cell line, PC3 both solely, and in combination with an immune-check point inhibitor drug, Nivolumab. All fucoidan extracts activated PBMCs and increased the effects of Nivolumab. Interestingly, all fucoidan extracts had a direct cytostatic effect on PC3 cells as shown through their proliferation reduction, while the cell killing activity was not mediated by fucoidan.