Wednesday, 2 July 2025

From cursed tomb fungus to cancer cure: Aspergillus flavus yields potent new drug


 Image: Aspergillus flavus by Medmyco - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

In a new twist of science, researchers have transformed a fungus long associated with death into a potential weapon against cancer. Found in tombs like that of King Tut, Aspergillus flavus was once feared for its deadly spores. 

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science have extracted a new class of molecules from it—called asperigimycins—that show powerful effects against leukaemia cells. These compounds, part of a rare group known as fungal RiPPs, were bioengineered for potency and appear to disrupt cancer cell division with high specificity.

"Fungi gave us penicillin," says Sherry Gao, Presidential Penn Compact Associate Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) and in Bioengineering (BE). "These results show that many more medicines derived from natural products remain to be found."

 

From Curse to Cure

 

Aspergillus flavus, named for its yellow spores, has long been a microbial villain. After archaeologists opened King Tutankhamun's tomb in the 1920s, a series of untimely deaths among the excavation team fueled rumors of a pharaoh's curse. Decades later, doctors theorized that fungal spores, dormant for millennia, could have played a role.

In the 1970s, a dozen scientists entered the tomb of Casimir IV in Poland. Within weeks, 10 of them died. Later investigations revealed the tomb contained A. flavus, whose toxins can lead to lung infections, especially in people with compromised immune systems.Now, that same fungus is the unlikely source of a promising new cancer therapy.

 

A Rare Fungal Find

 

The therapy in question is a class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides, or RiPPs, pronounced like the "rip" in a piece of fabric. The name refers to how the compound is produced -- by the ribosome, a tiny cellular structure that makes proteins -- and the fact that it is modified later, in this case, to enhance its cancer-killing properties.

"Purifying these chemicals is difficult," says Qiuyue Nie, a postdoctoral fellow in CBE and the paper's first author. While thousands of RiPPs have been identified in bacteria, only a handful have been found in fungi. In part, this is because past researchers misidentified fungal RiPPs as non-ribosomal peptides and had little understanding of how fungi created the molecules. "The synthesis of these compounds is complicated," adds Nie. "But that's also what gives them this remarkable bioactivity."

 

Hunting for Chemicals

 

To find more fungal RiPPs, the researchers first scanned a dozen strains of Aspergillus, which previous research suggested might contain more of the chemicals.

By comparing chemicals produced by these strains with known RiPP building blocks, the researchers identified A. flavus as a promising candidate for further study.

Genetic analysis pointed to a particular protein in A. flavus as a source of fungal RiPPs. When the researchers turned the genes that create that protein off, the chemical markers indicating the presence of RiPPs also disappeared.

This novel approach -- combining metabolic and genetic information -- not only pinpointed the source of fungal RiPPs in A. flavus, but could be used to find more fungal RiPPs in the future.

 

A Potent New Medicine

 

After purifying four different RiPPs, the researchers found the molecules shared a unique structure of interlocking rings. The researchers named these molecules, which have never been previously described, after the fungus in which they were found: asperigimycins.

Even with no modification, when mixed with human cancer cells, asperigimycins demonstrated medical potential: two of the four variants had potent effects against leukaemia cells.

Another variant, to which the researchers added a lipid, or fatty molecule, that is also found in the royal jelly that nourishes developing bees, performed as well as cytarabine and daunorubicin, two FDA-approved drugs that have been used for decades to treat leukaemia.

 

Cracking the Code of Cell Entry

 

To understand why lipids enhanced asperigimycins' potency, the researchers selectively turned genes on and off in the leukemia cells. One gene, SLC46A3, proved critical in allowing asperigimycins to enter leukemia cells in sufficient numbers.

That gene helps materials exit lysosomes, the tiny sacs that collect foreign materials entering human cells. "This gene acts like a gateway," says Nie. "It doesn't just help asperigimycins get into cells, it may also enable other 'cyclic peptides' to do the same."

Like asperigimycins, those chemicals have medicinal properties -- nearly two dozen cyclic peptides have received clinical approval since 2000 to treat diseases as varied as cancer and lupus -- but many of them need modification to enter cells in sufficient quantities.

"Knowing that lipids can affect how this gene transports chemicals into cells gives us another tool for drug development," says Nie.

 

Disrupting Cell Division

 

Through further experimentation, the researchers found that asperigimycins likely disrupt the process of cell division. "Cancer cells divide uncontrollably," says Gao. "These compounds block the formation of microtubules, which are essential for cell division."

Notably, the compounds had little to no effect on breast, liver or lung cancer cells -- or a range of bacteria and fungi -- suggesting that asperigimycins' disruptive effects are specific to certain types of cells, a critical feature for any future medication.

 

Future Directions

 

In addition to demonstrating the medical potential of asperigimycins, the researchers identified similar clusters of genes in other fungi, suggesting that more fungal RiPPS remain to be discovered. "Even though only a few have been found, almost all of them have strong bioactivity," says Nie. "This is an unexplored region with tremendous potential."

The next step is to test asperigimycins in animal models, with the hope of one day moving to human clinical trials. "Nature has given us this incredible pharmacy," says Gao. "It's up to us to uncover its secrets. As engineers, we're excited to keep exploring, learning from nature and using that knowledge to design better solutions."

Reference:

 

Qiuyue Nie, Fanglong Zhao, Xuerong Yu et al. A class of benzofuranoindoline-bearing heptacyclic fungal RiPPs with anticancer activities. Nature Chemical Biology, 2025; DOI: 10.1038/s41589-025-01946-9 

 

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)

Sunday, 29 June 2025

How Bioprinters Are Bringing Tissue Engineering to Life: Printing Cells Like Ink

Bioprinters are basically the high-tech tools that turn the art of tissue engineering into reality. Imagine being able to print skin, muscle, or even little chunks of organs—layer by layer—using cells instead of ink. Crazy, right? But that’s exactly what these magical machines do.

By Hannah Vargees 

So what exactly is a bioprinter?  

A bioprinter is like a 3D printer’s cooler, nerdier cousin. But instead of printing with plastic, it uses a gel-like substance called bioink. And no, this isn't your regular office ink—this stuff contains living, breathing cells that can grow into actual tissues. It’s like printing with life.

Let’s talk bioink.  

Just like regular printers need ink, bioprinters need bioink—a squishy mix of cells and supportive materials. This goo not only keeps the cells together like glue, but also gives them a nice little home to chill and grow in. Think of it as a comfy beanbag chair for cells. Oh, and it even helps shape the final structure, acting like scaffolding at a construction site—just a lot smaller and a lot more alive.

How Bioprinting Works  

Bioprinting is kind of like building something with LEGO blocks—just way more microscopic and way less likely to hurt your feet.

🧠 1. Designing the Shape  

First, a digital model (blueprint) is made. It’s like giving the printer a treasure map to follow, guiding where each tiny drop of bioink should go.

🧪 2. Preparing the Bioink  

Scientists whip up the right blend of cells depending on what they want to print. Skin? Cartilage? Little liver pieces? There's a "recipe" for everything.

🖨️ 3. Layer-by-Layer Printing  

The printer gets to work, laying down super-thin layers of bioink—like stacking tissue pancakes. No syrup required.

🌡️ 4. Maturing the Tissue  

Once printed, the structure takes a relaxing vacation in a bioreactor—a spa-like chamber that keeps it warm, fed, and safe while it matures into real tissue.

 Why is bioprinting important?  

Because growing tissue in a flat dish is so last decade. Bioprinters make the process faster, smarter, and more customizable. You can now build complex 3D structures that actually look and behave like real tissue—not just cell soup in a petri dish. The size, shape, and structure can all be tailored, like ordering custom sneakers, but for body parts.

Conclusion  

Bioprinters are still evolving (cue dramatic sci-fi music), but the possibilities are wild. We at Avay Biosciences are a group of scientists and engineers who are gnawing into this world of possibilities. While scientists worldwide are already working on printing bigger and more complex tissues—and one day, even full organs made from your own cells. That means fewer organ donors, less rejection, and a future where your body gets its own backup parts on demand.

 

Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)

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