University of Nottingham (UK) researchers discover new insights that may facilitate the utilization of a drug derived from cordyceps, a mushroom that is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), for the treatment of cancer.
Cordyceps is a mushroom that is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and was first mentioned in a medical scientific publication in 1950. Cornelia de Moor, from University of Nottingham (United Kingdom), and colleagues investigated a drug called cordycepin, which was originally extracted from wild cordyceps mushrooms and is now prepared from a cultivated form. While cordycepin has been shown in previous studies to affect mRNA to confer anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects, thus suggesting a potential role as an anti-cancer treatment, it quickly degrades in the body. By finding insights into the mechanism of action of the drug, the researchers have discovered ways to make it more effective.
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Ying Ying Wong, Alice Moon, Ruth Duffin, Adeline Barthet-Barateig, Hedda A. Meijer, Michael J. Clemens, Cornelia H. de Moor. “Cordycepin inhibits protein synthesis and cell adhesion through effects on signal transduction.” J. Biol. Chem. jbc.M109.071159; November 23, 2009, doi:10.1074/jbc.M109.071159.