O fungo cordyceps
A parasitic fungus that kills caterpillars can be used to block the growth of some cankers.
A cordycepin is a substance that can fight some cancers, shows a new one from the University of Nottingham published on November 7 in FEBS and led by Cornelia H. de Moor.
This component is present in “zombifying” species of Cordyceps e Ophiocordyceps, parasites that possess this substance to be able to infect the host’s body, which generally affects the insect’s behavior before its death, explains .
According to the study, advances in scientific techniques have allowed researchers to study the gene expression, cell signaling pathways and protein production in a vast number of cells from cordycepin.
“We were able to look at thousands of genes at the same time,” Moore told Science Alert. In studies carried out on human tissue cultures, the team was able to discover that this chemical was converted into a more active compound called cordycepin triphosphatewhich is responsible for inhibition of cellular activity.
The researchers thus discovered that cordycepin triphosphate blocks two separate signaling pathwaysoften diverted by cancer cells to help its spread throughout the human body.
According to Science Alert, more research is still needed to transform discoveries into new cancer treatments, but the understanding how the molecule affects cell growth it can lay the necessary foundations for the development of new types of cancer medicines.
“Our data confirm that cordycepin It is a good starting point for new cancer drugs and explain its beneficial effects”, says Moore.
In truth, the species Cordyceps C. military It is already widely used in Chinese medicineand even in some modern medicines, such as some anti-inflammatories or antibiotics.
“We have been investigating the effects of cordycepin on a range of diseases for several years, and with each step we take, we are closer to understand how it can be used as an effective treatment“, concludes the researcher.
