US EditionEngineers turn toxic ancient tomb fungus into anti-cancer drug
- A University of Pennsylvania team transformed the toxic fungus Aspergillus flavus, linked to deaths near King Tutankhamun's tomb, into a compound that kills leukemia cells.
- Researchers isolated and modified asperigimycins from A. flavus, finding some variants match FDA-approved leukemia drugs cytarabine and daunorubicin in potency.
- The compound disrupts microtubule formation essential for cell division, showing specificity to leukemia cells while sparing other cancer and bacterial cells.
- Researchers identified that the gene SLC46A3 acts as a gateway allowing asperigimycins to enter cells, with lipid modifications enhancing this transport and drug efficacy.
- The engineers are eager to further investigate asperigimycins by evaluating their effects in preclinical studies with animals, with the ultimate goal of advancing to human clinical trials for cancer therapy.
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A Deadly Tomb Fungus May Have Yielded a Killer Leukemia Treatment
A deadly fungus has been turned into a potent cancer-fighting compound after researchers isolated a new class of molecules from it. Aspergillus flavus, a toxic crop fungus linked to deaths in the excavations of ancient tombs—such as that of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamon—was recently used in a test against leukemia cells. The result? A promising […] The post A Deadly Tomb Fungus May Have Yielded a Killer Leukemia Treatment appeared first on Good Ne…
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