Deadly Fungus That Haunted Ancient Tombs May Now Help Fight Against Cancer
Microbes are double -edged swords – they can hurt us, but they also bring the remedy for the disease. The most famous fungal pharmaceutics, penicillin, has revolutionized medicine. Now researchers are dying even more deeply – literally – in the search for new treatments. Their last source? A fungus that once haunted old tombs, and brought a curse too made on these sufficiently intrepid and reckless archaeologists to venture into these sacred burial sites.
Aspergillus flavusA mold known to have survived in buried rooms sealed for thousands of years before endangering archaeologists and their crews, has now turned out to contain a compound with the potential to be completely the opposite – defying death by its unexpected capacity to fight against cancer.
A new study led by the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania, published in Chemical biology of natureReveals that with a small chemical adjustment, a substance made by this fungus can even compete with leukemia drugs approved by the FDA.
Danger of the ancient grave
Aspergillus flavus has a deadly reputation. Known both as a mold of common culture and a hidden danger in ancient tombs, its spores were linked to mysterious dead – from the excavation of the 1920s of King Tutankhamun to a Polish royal tomb incident of the 1970s which, apparently, killed several archaeologists. The fungus produces toxins and can cause serious respiratory infections, especially in people with weakened immune systems.
But now scientists return the script. The compound studied belongs to a group called RIPPS, which are peptides manufactured by ribosomes (essential cellular organizations for protein production) and later chemically modified to improve their function.
Many RIPPs have been found in bacteria, but fungi remained mainly neglected – often poorly identified or misunderstood. It changes.
To search for promising fungal RIPPS, the team projected a dozen species of Aspergillus, in search of chemical indices. A. Flavus stands out. “The synthesis of these compounds is complicated,” said the main author of the Qiuyue study denies in a press release. “But that is also what gives them this remarkable bioactivity.”
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Fight cancer cells
By deactivating certain genes in A. FlavusThe team identified the exact protein responsible. They purified four molecules previously unknown with complex cycle structures and between locking, by appointing them asperigimycins.
When mixed with human cancer cells, two of these compounds have shown strong activity against leukemia. A third, initially inactive, was chemically changed with lipid chains to increase its performance and ended up performing traditional chemotherapy drugs such as cytarabine and daunorubicin.
Other tests suggest that asperigimycins interfere with the division of cancer cells. “The cancer cells are divided uncontrollable,” said Sherry Gao, Sherry principal author in the press release. “These compounds block the formation of microtubules, which are essential for cell division.”
Develop safer cancer treatments
Above all, molecules have shown little or no effect on other types of cancer, such as cancer cells of breast, liver or lung, as well as other bacteria and fungi, referring to a rare level of specificity. This type of targeted effect is the key to developing safer treatments.
The researchers also identified clusters of similar genes in other fungi, hoping that there could be many more fungal ripps that are waiting to be discovered.
“Even if only a few have been found, almost all have strong bioactivity,” said Nie. “This is an unexplored region with enormous potential.”
Then, for this deadly fungus become friends: animal tests and, hope, human clinical trials. “Nature gave us this incredible pharmacy,” said Gao. “It is up to us to discover its secrets. As an engineers, we are delighted to continue to explore, learn from nature and use this knowledge to design better solutions. These results show that many more drugs derived from natural products remain to be found. ”
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Having worked as a biomedical research assistant in laboratories in three countries, Jenny excels in translating complex scientific concepts – ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the last nutritions – in accessible and engaging content. His interests extend to subjects such as human evolution, psychology and stories of eccentric animals. When it is not immersed in a popular scientific book, you will find it to catch waves or sail on the island of Vancouver on its longboard.
