Fungus to treat a dreadful disease like cancer? It is possible. Research over the years has thrown up surprises that nature has in store, one of the most remarkable being Paclitaxel (marketed as Taxol), a chemical compound from the bark of a Pacific Yew tree (Taxus brevifolia). But the difficulty in extracting the compound as well as concerns over the entire tree being cut for the purpose pushed scientists to look for alternatives.
Closer home, a team from the biochemistry lab at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore has been working on identification and extraction of natural compounds of pharmaceutical value found in well-known medicinal plants and their endophytic fungi for over a decade. At first, they stumbled upon Taxol-producing endophytic fungus growing from the aseptic cuttings of the Chinese yew shrub. The team recently reported finding an anti-cancer compound (Cholestanol glucoside), isolated from an endophytic fungus in the Ashoka tree (Saraca asoca).
The potential
“The fungus has to be isolated from the plant, algae or the source. We culture the fungus and see if it has anti-cancer properties before fermenting it,” explained C. Jayabaskaran, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, IISc. The compound produced by the fungus has to be purified and undergo pre-clinical and clinical tests.
Though available in several plants and trees, Prof. Jayabaskaran said they have to be approved by the FDA. Different kinds of fungus are said to treat different types of cancer.
“We are trying to coordinate with some industries,” he added, referring to efforts to translate the findings into industry-level production.
