Researchers have found that the fungus Cordyceps militaris contains a key ingredient that could be used to attack tumor cells.
A deadly pest in caterpillars may very well help fend off cancer in humans. Scientists in the UK have found evidence that a parasitic caterpillar fungus contains a key ingredient that could be used to disrupt the growth of tumor cells.itself is regularly used in Chinese traditional medicine, and some research has indicated that a particular compound that the fungus produces—cordycepin—has anti-inflammatory and other properties that could make it valuable in.
The researchers first analyzed how cordycepin altered the activity of thousands of genes within different lines of cells. Based on this analysis, they determined that the compound mainly works by blocking pathways that govern cell growth. They also found the specific metabolic byproduct that’s likely responsible for this effect, cordycepin triphosphate. This byproduct is similar to the molecule adenosine triphosphate , the “fuel” that cells use to carry out their functions.
“We have been researching the effects of cordycepin on a range of diseases for a number of years and with each step we get closer to understanding how it could be used as an effective treatment,” said study researcher Cornelia de Moor in afrom the university. “Our data confirms that cordycepin is a good starting point for novel cancer medicines and explains its beneficial effects.”
There are still more mysteries to be solved about cordycepin, the researchers say, such as the actual molecules in a cell that it interacts with to affect growth. But the techniques they developed to study cordycepin in cells could help them and other researchers in the future, since they were able to identify particular genes that were reliably activated by the compound.
New research appears to be the first to empirically show that Americans often face financial hardship and bankruptcy after being diagnosed with cancer.The theory that holding a radiation-emitting device to your ear for hours could cause cancer certainly feels true, but decades of study has found no link.Poop Transplants Could Boost Cancer TreatmentNew research suggests GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic can help prevent up to 10 different obesity-related cancers in people with type 2 diabetes.
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