Scientists have discovered that the secrets behind King Tut’s tomb may hold the key to a new drug that curse cancerous cells, with early trials showing great results in fighting leukemia.
King Tutankhamun is one of the most notorious and well-known Pharaohs of his age, with the unearthing of his tomb being a landmark discovery in archaeology.
However, most of those who set foot in his tomb mysteriously died. People at the time thought it was a curse, but it turned out to be Aspergillus flavus, a type of fungus with spores that can cause a deadly lung infection.
Tombs open to the public or for private exploration by folks like MrBeast are much safter now, but they were once infamous for taking the lives of cave and tomb explorers the world around. However, this lethal fungus also may hold the key to curing certain forms of cancer.
Cursed mushroom may actually be a cure for cancer
According to a study from the University of Pennsylvania, this mushroom can be purified and turned into medicine that effectively combats leukemia and has potential to battle other forms of cancer.
Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides, abbreviated to RiPPs, can be synthesized from these mushrooms. A peptide is a chain of amino acids that can play a number of roles in the human body, with this one in particular making your body leap into action against cancer cells.
However, scientists have had some real struggles in isolating pure RiPPs from these mushrooms, and there’s much work to be done before a pharmaceutical product like this could be mass-produced.
“The synthesis of these compounds is complicated,” explained scientist and original research paper author Qiuyue Nie. “But that’s also what gives them this remarkable bioactivity.”
The process involves using lipidation to change the peptide at a molecular level, converting it from a toxic mushroom into a life-saving medication.
Scientists who made this breakthrough discovery are optimistic about the future of medicine, believing that fungi like this may have untapped medical properties just waiting to be discovered.
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.