A Powerful Cure for Cancer… Found in Fungi

A team of researchers affiliated with the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, have managed to supercharge an anti-cancer compound to make it 40 times more effective.

A fungus from the Himalayas called Cordyceps has Cordycepin as one of its bioactive ingredients, and it has the capacity to kill cancer cells, retard their cancerous properties, and regulate tumor microenvironment by suppressing tumor metastasis-related pathways. The Oxford researchers published their findings in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

Then, they collaborated with a biopharma company called NuCana to develop the ProTide technology that can bypass the resistance mechanisms that break down anti-cancer metabolites. That technology led to a new chemotherapy drug called NUC-7738, 40 times more likely to kill cancer cells than the compound originally found in the fungi. Phase 1 clinical trial is underway, and early results show that the drug is well-tolerated, and anti-cancer activity has been detected.