Dengue is a common disease found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide. While there is no specific treatment for dengue, early detection of disease progression associated with dengue-like symptoms lowers fatality rates.

A joint clinical trial confirmed that continuous intake of Kirin Holdings Company Limited’s (Kirin Holdings) Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma (LC-Plasma)¹ for two months significantly reduced the cumulative number of days of fever, muscle pain, joint pain, and pain behind the eyes, which are known to be the main symptoms of dengue fever. LC-Plasma is the same functional ingredient in Kirin Holdings’ iMUSE range that help maintain the immune system. The study was conducted by The Kirin Central Research Institute in collaboration with Professor Dr. Sazaly Abu Bakar, Director of the Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC) at the University of Malaya.

No cure, no vaccine…but hope arises – in food!

There is still no definitive cure or vaccine for dengue fever. However, the study results show there is hope for dealing with symptoms. The results of a clinical trial have confirmed the suppression of dengue fever- like symptoms through a food that is safe and does not rely on medical infrastructure, reflecting a groundbreaking achievement that has the potential to provide a solution to the global social issue of dengue fever. The results of this research were presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Travel and Health on 22 August.

Since LC-Plasma activates the command center of antiviral immunity, it has been shown to contribute to the prevention of a wide range of viral infections other than the dengue fever virus². Moving forward, Kirin Holdings and the University of Malaya will accelerate joint research aiming to verify the antiviral effects of LC-Plasma on tropical disease viruses other than the dengue virus.

Kirin Holdings has reported that LC-Plasma has shown immunostimulatory effects in the body’s defense against viral infections through activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells³ in non-clinical and clinical trials, and that LC-Plasma can reduce the incidence of influenza⁴ in clinical trials. In collaboration with TIDREC, a WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus Reference and Research, the collaboration will continue to verify the effects of LC-Plasma on other tropical infectious diseases, which are expected to expand further due to global warming. In tandem, Kirin Holdings will make LC-Plasma more accessible to more people in Southeast Asia through alliances and business expansion, providing a solution to a major issue.

Currently, the iMUSE water is available for purchase via Shopee.

¹Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM 5805 is owned by the RIKEN BioResource Research Center.
²Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma Research Report https://health.kirin.co.jp/ps/index.html
³Jounai et al., PLoS One (2012) / Sugimura et al., Clin. Immunol (2013)
⁴Sakata et al., Health (2017)