Huaier mushroom for chronic diseases

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Updated - January 26, 2026

The Huaier mushroom for chronic diseases - scientific studies, indications and mechanisms of action

Data from current research show that Huaier is also promising for autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and post-infectious syndromes such as ME/CFS or post-vac syndrome.

Huaier has broad-spectrum regulatory activities on various components of the innate and adaptive immune system, including macrophages, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, T and B lymphocytes.

The Tanaka study is the basis for the following statements. Dosage recommendations related to cancer therapy can be found here. The source of supply for the granules with 32% polysaccharides used in the study is here.

Nine main active substances of the Huaier fungus have been identified that act on multiple signaling pathways:

• TP-1 (polysaccharide, 2300 kDa*)
• HP-1 (polysaccharide, 30 kDa)
• PS-T (Polysaccharide-protein complex: 40% polysaccharides + 10% amino acids)
• Rutin (flavonoid)
• Kaempferol (flavonoid)
• Genistein (Isoflavonoid)
• Glucuronic Acid (sugar-acid)
• Daucosterol (Sterol)
• W-NTRP (water-soluble polysaccharide)

*kDa is used to indicate the mass of molecules, especially proteins. The unit Dalton (Da) is defined as the twelfth part of the mass of the carbon isotope 12C and is 1.66053906660(50) - 10-²⁷ kg. kDa is practically identical to kg/mol.

Autoimmune diseases

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)

is an autoimmune disease with a severely reduced platelet count, which is usually treated with corticosteroids / immunosuppressants (with massive side effects).

Due to an autoimmune reaction against thrombocytes, affected patients have a greatly reduced number of these cells, which are important for blood clotting.

The use of aqueous huai extract in immune thrombocytopenia was investigated in a In vitro study described as successful.

Mechanism of action:

• Regulates autoimmune response (instead of suppressing it)
• Modulates B lymphocytes (produce the defective antibodies)
• Normalizes platelet production

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of unknown origin. It mainly affects joints, but also organs. It is also characterized by an intermittent course. The cause is the attack of the misdirected immune system on the synovial membrane (synovial mucosa). This leads to an inflammatory reaction, accompanied by pain, swelling and stiffness, for example. At an advanced stage, irreversible joint damage and deformities can result.

Mechanism of action in RA:

• Inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β)
• Reduces autoantibody production
• Promotes regulatory T cells (Tregs = natural „brake“ of the immune system)
• Reduces or interrupts Th17 differentiation (pro-inflammatory)

Huaier regulates the derailed immune response back to balance.

Chronic inflammatory diseases

Ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

With regard to the use of an aqueous extract of Trametes robiniophila for the treatment of the inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis, a study shows that Huaier aqueous extract protects against dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis in mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation by Wang e.a. showed promising results. The scientists used an intestinal disease in mice chemically induced by dextran sodium sulphate.

Huaier significantly reduced intestinal inflammation as evidenced by labeled reduction of a number of cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ and IL-1β in colonic tissue. Not only was the colon structure better preserved, but the tumor burden was also greatly reduced.

Mechanism of action:

• reduces STAT3 phosphorylation (central for inflammation)
• inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome (via autophagy-lysosome pathway)
• Decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines
• Regeneration of the intestinal barrier

At the same time, there was a reduction in inflammation AND Cancer risk (IBD increases the risk of bowel cancer!).

Dosage recommendation> 0.2 g / kg body weight - valid for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

Differentiation between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

Localization

Ulcerative colitis (CU)

• Concerns exclusively the large intestine (colon) and rectum (rectum)
• Always starts in the rectum and spreads continuously upwards
• No „jump lesions“

Crohn's disease (MC)

• Can the entire digestive tract infested (mouth to anus)
• Frequently terminal ileum (last section of small intestine) and large intestine
• Discontinuous infestation with healthy sections in between („skip lesions“)

Depth of inflammation

UC

• Limited to mucous membrane (mucosa) and upper submucosa
• Superficial inflammation

MC

• Transmural inflammation (through all wall layers)
• Can penetrate the entire intestinal wall

Allergic diseases (asthma, allergies)

Huaier shows efficacy in the treatment of a range of immune-related disorders, including allergic, autoimmune and infectious diseases. In a Mouse model Huaier extract reduced the inflammatory reaction in the airways.

Huai Qi Huang (a mixture of Chinese herbs that Trametes robiniophila murr (Huaier) contains, together with Wolfberry fruit and Polygonatum)

• inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lungs
• reduced the influx of eosinophils (EOSs), lymphocytes (LYMs), neutrophils (NEUs) and macrophages (MACs) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)
• reduced IgE

The specific mechanism of action: The Huai Qi Huang corrected the balance of Th1/Th2 in a Rat model study:

• Huai Qi Huang changes the mRNA expression levels of the transcription factors T-bet/Gata-3 and Foxp3/RORγt - by rebalancing the cytokine profiles and changing the mRNA expression levels of these transcription factors.
• Increased Foxp3+ Cells (Treg cells)
• Reduced Gata-3+ cells (Th2 cells)
• Increases T-bet+ cells (Th1 cells)

Mechanism of action in allergies:

• Mechanism of action in allergies/asthma (based on Huai Qi Huang studies):
• Th2→Th1-Shift by increasing T-bet and reducing Gata-3
• Reduces IgE antibody production (significantly measured in serum)
• Reduces Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13)
• Increases Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α)
• Promotes Treg cells (Foxp3+) and increases Treg cytokines (IL-10, TGF-β1)
• Reduces inflammatory cell infiltration into the lungs (EOSs, LYMs, NEUs, MACs)

Cardiovascular diseases

There are currently no specific clinical studies on these indications available as publications. However, one study of the American Heart Association (JAHA) with Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in rodent models.

Potential mechanism of action:

• Huaier suppresses HIF1α (hypoxia-inducible factor) signaling pathway
• inhibits NF-κB (reduces inflammation)
• activates Nrf2 (activates the cell's own repair program with over 200 genes for the expression of)
  Antioxidants (SOD2, catalase, glutathione)
  - Neutralize free radicals
  Detoxification enzymes (glutathione S-transferase, etc.)
  - Make toxins water-soluble and excretable
  Mitochondrial repair proteins (NRF1, TFAM)
  - Repair the energy power plants of the cell
  - Cell produces ATP (energy) again
• improves mitochondrial function
• alleviates oxidative stress

Neurodegenerative diseases - Parkinson's disease

A case study Huaier Compensates Impaired Signal Transfer Inter/Intra Neurons in Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems by Tanaka e.a. describes the successful recovery of a patient with Parkinson's disease.

Theoretical mechanism of action related to general neurodegenerative diseases:

• Anti-inflammatory (Neuroinflammation is central to neurodegenerative diseases)
• Antioxidant (protects against neuron degeneration)
• Neuroprotective (via activation of growth factors)
• Activates microglia polarization (from pro- to anti-inflammatory)

Status: No relevant clinical studies in humans are yet available.

Post-infectious syndromes

Pathophysiology of Long COVID:

• Persistent immune activation (Th1/Th17 dominance)
• Viral persistence (in lymphatic tissue/gastrointestinal tract)
• Microglia activation
• Persistent endothelial damage
• Persistent neuroinflammation

Theoretical mechanism of action (not proven by studies):

1. Immunoregulation: Normalizes Th1/Th17 balance
2. Antiviral effects: Activates NK cells and CD8+ T cells
3. Anti-inflammatory: Reduces persistent cytokine production
4. Endothelial protection: Antioxidant, prevents further damage

Possible role after mRNA vaccination

In their study published in 2023, Japanese researchers led by Tanaka e.a. observed that Huaier Effects on Prevention and Inhibition of Spontaneous SARS-CoV-2 Virion Production by Repeated Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA Vaccination, that patients who regularly took Huaier after vaccination suffered significantly fewer relapses of cancer and recovered more quickly overall. In some patients, even existing spike proteins in the blood could no longer be detected.

A previous study from 2022 Huaier Effects on Functional Compensation with Destructive Ribosomal RNA Structure after Anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination investigates the ribosomal RNA structure after mRNA vaccination in stage IV cancer patients after vaccination.

They come to the conclusion that taking Huaier granules

• less spike protein production took place (measured via RNA sequencing)
• a better ribosomal RNA structure was present

Possible mechanisms:

• Support of ribosomal RNA function (after vaccination damage; according to case report)
• Reduction of persistent spike protein production (controversial to mainstream)
• Immunoregulation after overstimulation
• Inflammation inhibition

Chronic liver diseases - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

The randomized controlled trial by Chen Q, Shu C, et al. Effect of Huaier granule on recurrence after curative resection of HCC from 2018 describes the result after taking 20g Huaier granules 3 times a day for 96 weeks after resection, the study included 696 patients.

Mechanism of action:

• reduces malondialdehyde (MDA) - Oxidative stress marker
• increases superoxide dismutase (SOD) - Antioxidant
• increases catalase (CAT) - Antioxidant
• increases glutathione (GSH) - Master antioxidant
• activates PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 signaling pathway (Western blotting + qRT-PCR)

The universal active principle of Huaier

Multiple immunological responses are regulated by Huaier, from expression of damage-associated molecular patterns, immune cell activation and maturation to cell proliferation, differentiation, antibody production, expression of cytokines and chemokines, and terminal intracellular signal transduction.

The central concept: Some modulatory activities of Huaier may be context-dependent, typically promoting recovery to normal physiological status.

In simple terms, Huaier does not work like a drug that blocks a specific function. Instead, Huaier brings the immune system back to balance and a normal state (source).

Signal path architecture

Huaier acts on the following central signaling pathways:

Signal path	Normal	For chronic diseases	Huaier effect
PI3K/AKT/mTOR	Moderate activity	Hyperactive (inflammation)	normalization
JAK2/STAT3	Regulated	Persistent activation	Reduces phosphorylation
NF-κB	Basal + activatable	Constitutively active	Return to basal
Hippo/YAP	Active (control)	Inhibited (uncontrolled)	Reactivated
MAPK (ERK/p38)	In line with demand	Overactive	normalization

Dosage for chronic diseases

Indication	dosage	Duration	Special features
Chronic inflammation	10-15g/day	3-6 months	Continuous
Autoimmune disease	10-15g/day	6-12 months+	Long-term intake
Allergic diseases	10-15g/day	Seasonal or continuous	Supportive
Cancer prevention (IBD, hepatitis)	5-10g/day	Continuous	Long-term prevention
Post-COVID/Post-Vac	10-15g/day	3-12 months	Individually dependent

General: Dosages for chronic diseases are often lower than for active cancer, but longer-term.

Safety and compatibility

Side effect profile:

• Very low
• Occasional „detoxification reactions“ in weeks 1-2
• No known serious intolerances
• Very good safety profile

Contraindications: None known (except possibly certain blood clotting disorders)

Remark

Research status for chronic diseases:

While the evidence for cancer (especially HCC and breast cancer) is very strong, the research situation for other chronic diseases is still mixed.

For chronic diseases, Huaier should be considered as a complementary remedy (not a substitute) to conventional medicine.