Next Hot Cancer Drug May Come From Chinese Mushrooms
Despite stereotypical outlooks, a number of scientists look to natural remedies during the process of developing new drugs. In particular, a number of cancer fighting drugs stem from herbal remedies. Cordyceps, a rare mushroom that grows on caterpillars, joins the ranks of natural remedies under study in laboratory settings. While Cordyceps remains rare in nature, it is cultivated in laboratories, as well as in other facilities.
The Chinese mushroom, Cordyceps is often used in Chinese medicine. Even though researchers learned of this mushroom in the 1950’s, they were not able to administer enough of the cancer fighting agent to compensate for its breakdown in the body. Unfortunately, medications used to prevent this problem tend to have serious side effects. While this issue has been revisited a number of times, most researchers simply moved on to other compounds that eventually resulted in viable chemotherapy agents.
Cordycephin the main cancer fighting ingredient in Cordyceps mushrooms inhibits tumor growth by interfering with protein production. It is suspected that this particular drug inhibits specific proteins that enable cells to stick together. This, in turn, reduces cell division rates. There is no question that low doses interfere with mRNA production, while higher ones completely block protein production.
Very recently, a research team at the University of Nottingham found a way to create a more stable version of a drug known as Cordycephin. It is hoped that this version will deliver a safe and effective chemotherapy agent. Researchers are also looking for ways to determine which cancers are most likely to be respond to this particular medication. Even if these research leads fail to produce a viable drug, researchers still hope to find a similar compound that utilizes the same mechanisms.
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