a fungus parasitizing caterpillars slows the growth of tumors

In the video game/series The Last of Us, a parasitic fungus transforms humans into zombies. A study from the University of Nottingham School of Pharmacy reveals that this type of organism could actually do us good.

Researchers have discovered that the Cordyceps militaris that parasitizes caterpillars produces a substance that shows promise as a treatment for cancer. Their study was published in the journal FEBS Letters.

Cancer: fungus interrupts cell growth

Scientists were interested in cordycepin, a substance produced by Cordyceps militaris, a fungus that grows on caterpillars and is widely used in Chinese medicine.

Tests confirm that this product slows the development of cancer cells. The mechanism was also highlighted. The substance manages to interrupt cell growth signals that are overactive in cancer, by interacting with genes.

“By studying what happens to cordycepin inside the cell, the team confirmed that cordycepin is converted to cordycepin triphosphate, an analogue of the cell’s energy carrier ATP,” one of which plays a role in cell divisionexplain the authors in a press release.

Parasitic fungus: a molecule for new treatments

Cordycepin could help develop new anti-cancer drugs, researchers say “less damaging to healthy tissue than most currently available treatments”.

Dr Cornelia de Moor, School of Pharmacy who led the study adds:
“Our data confirm that cordycepin is a good starting point for new cancer drugs and explain its beneficial effects. For example, cordycepin derivatives could aim to produce the triphosphate form of the drug to have the same effect. Furthermore, the data will help monitor the effects of cordycepin in patients, because they indicate particular genes whose activity reliably responds to cordycepin. This could, for example, be measured in blood cells.