Latest news with #LordCarnarvon
The National
7 hours ago
- Health
- The National
How toxic fungus in Tutankhamun's tomb can help fight cancer
A deadly fungus behind the so-called curse of Tutankhamun 's tomb can be harnessed to fight cancer, scientists have discovered. Aspergillus flavus, a toxic fungus linked to deaths in the excavations of ancient tombs, can be transformed into a potent cancer-fighting compound, they found. Researchers at Penn University, Pennsylvania, believe it opens up new frontiers in the discovery of more fungal medicines. The mould, named for its yellow spores and long considered a microbial villain, has been found growing in sealed tombs in Egypt and was thought to be responsible for the deaths of several people who entered, including Tutankhamun's in 1923. Aspergillus spores grow especially well on grain, the supply of which was abundant in Tutankhamun's tomb, with offerings of bread and raw grain stored in numerous baskets. From curse to cure The idea of a pharaoh's curse had endured from the 1820s, with the discovery of dire warnings on the walls of tombs intended to deter robbers. After Tutankhamun's tomb was opened, there followed a series of deaths of those among the excavation team, including expedition patron Lord Carnarvon, financier George Jay Gould and Egyptologist Arthur Mace, giving fuel to the idea of a curse. Decades later, doctors theorised 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, the toxins of which can lead to lung infections, especially in people with compromised immune systems. The mummy of Ramses II was taken to Paris in 1976 and 89 species of fungi were isolated from it, including aspergillus. Now, that same fungus is the unlikely source of a promising new cancer therapy. 'Fungi gave us penicillin,' said Sherry Gao, of Penn University, senior author of a new paper in Nature Chemical Biology on the findings. 'These results show that many more medicines derived from natural products remain to be found.' Pharaoh's curse British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened. He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia. Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from 'pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes'. Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse. Hunting for chemicals The researchers scanned a dozen strains of Aspergillus, to find promising candidates that may lead to a medicine. They found identified could be modified to create cancer-fighting molecules called asperigimycins. Even with no modification, when mixed with human cancer cells, asperigimycins demonstrated medical potential against leukaemia cells. Another variant, to which the researchers added a fatty molecule found in the royal jelly that nourishes developing bees, performed as well as two drugs that have been used for decades to treat leukaemia. Disrupting cell division Through further experimentation, the researchers found that asperigimycins can disrupt the process of cell division. 'Cancer cells divide uncontrollably,' said Ms Gao. 'These compounds block the formation of microtubules, which are essential for cell division.' The compounds appeared to have a specific effect on leukaemia cells but had little to no effect on breast, liver or lung cancer cells. Qiuyue Nie, a postdoctoral fellow and the paper's first author, said the compounds had 'strong bioactivity'. 'This is an unexplored region with tremendous potential,' she added. 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,' said Ms 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.'
Times
8 hours ago
- Health
- Times
Toxic fungus linked to ‘pharoah's curse' could help fight cancer
A toxic fungus linked to the mysterious deaths of archaeologists who opened ancient tombs including that of Tutankhamun could be used to make a drug to tackle blood cancer. The theory of a 'pharoah's curse' grew after a series of untimely deaths struck down several members of the team who excavated Tutankhamun's tomb in the 1920s. In the 1970s, 12 scientists entered a tomb in Poland that belonged to Casimir IV, who was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447. Within weeks, ten of them were dead. It emerged that the tomb contained Aspergillus flavus, a toxic crop fungus with yellow spores that can lead to lung infections, particularly in those with weakened immune systems. However, researchers have found that the fungus could contain one of a class of peptides known as RiPPs, pronounced 'rips', that can be modified to attack cancer. 'Purifying these chemicals is difficult,' said Dr Qiuyue Nie from the University of Pennslyvania, an author of the paper published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. 'The synthesis of these compounds is complicated, but that's also what gives them this remarkable bioactivity.' A number of these RiPPs had been found in bacteria but few had been found in fungi. They found that a particular protein within the Aspergillus flavus fungus was a promising candidate. Howard Carter, the British archaeologist, led the team that explored Tutankhamun's tomb. His benefactor, Lord Carnarvon, died six weeks after they entered the tomb TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER BILL WARHURST, COLOURISED BY UNSEEN HISTORIES/JORDAN J LLOYD AND JOSHUA BARRETT 'Even with no modification, when mixed with human cancer cells, the asperigimycins [protein] demonstrated medical potential. Two of the four variants had potent effects against leukaemia cells,' the research showed. After adding a fatty molecule to another variant, they found that it worked as well as 'two drugs that have been used for decades to treat leukaemia'. It appears that the protein may disrupt the division of the cancer cells. 'Fungi gave us penicillin,' said Sherry Gao, a professor at the university. 'These results show that many more medicines derived from natural products remain to be found.' It could be many years before a drug can be produced for testing and use in humans, however. 'The next step is to test asperigimycins in animal models, with the hope of one day moving to human clinical trials,' the researchers said. 'Nature has given us this incredible pharmacy,' Gao said. '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.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Deadly fungus in Tutankhamun's ‘cursed' tomb can help fight cancer
The toxic fungus behind the 'curse' of Tutankhamun's tomb can fight cancer, scientists have found. Aspergillus flavus is a mould that often grows in long-sealed tombs and can trigger deadly breathing problems or allergic reactions in people with weakened immune systems. It is thought to be partly responsible for the deaths of several people who entered tombs, including Tutankhamun's in 1923, and the 15th-century Polish king Casimir IV Jagiellon's in 1973. Now scientists have found that its deadly spores are also lethal to leukaemia and are hoping to begin testing in animals, before eventually moving on to humans. 'Nature has given us this incredible pharmacy, it's up to us to uncover its secrets,' said Dr Sherry Gao, an associate professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. 'Fungi gave us penicillin. These results show that many more medicines derived from natural products remain to be found.' Aspergillus flavus can lie dormant for centuries, only becoming active again once disturbed. It is known to grow on cereals, which were often sealed up as grave goods inside tombs. After archaeologists opened Tutankhamun's tomb a series of untimely deaths among the excavation team - including those of British patron Lord Carnarvon, George Jay Gould, the financier, and Egyptologist Arthur Mace - fuelled rumours of a pharaoh's curse. But experts later theorised that it could have been the fungus, which may have lain dormant for millennia. In the 1970s, a dozen conservationists entered the tomb of Casimir IV in Poland and within weeks, 10 of them had died. Later investigations revealed the tomb contained Aspergillus flavus. In the new study, scientists studied a dozen strains of Aspergillus to see if they produced anything that might be repurposed as a medicine. They discovered potent cancer-fighting molecules, which they named asperigimycins. Even with no modification, the asperigimycins showed strong medical potential against leukaemia cells. When researchers added a molecule found in the royal jelly - the substance that nourishes developing bees - the asperigimycins performed as well as cytarabine and daunorubicin, two drugs that have been used for decades to treat leukaemia. Through further experimentation, the researchers discovered that asperigimycins seem to work by disrupting the process of cancer cell division. 'Cancer cells divide uncontrollably,' added Dr Gao. 'These compounds block the formation of microtubules, which are essential for cell division.' The team also found that the cancer-fighting properties only seemed to work on leukaemia, and had little to no effect on other cancers such as breast, liver or lung cancer. The researchers identified similar clusters of genes in other fungi, suggesting that more potential drugs from fungi remain to be discovered. It suggests that natural remedies to individual cancers may be present already in nature and the scientists are keen to explore whether other fungi also produce similar molecules. 'Even though only a few have been found, almost all of them have strong bioactivity,' said Dr Qiuyue Nie, of the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. 'This is an unexplored region with tremendous potential.' The research was published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Deadly fungus in Tutankhamun's ‘cursed' tomb can help fight cancer
The toxic fungus behind the 'curse' of Tutankhamun's tomb can fight cancer, scientists have found. Aspergillus flavus is a mould that often grows in long-sealed tombs and can trigger deadly breathing problems or allergic reactions in people with weakened immune systems. It is thought to be partly responsible for the deaths of several people who entered tombs, including Tutankhamun's in 1923, and the 15th-century Polish king Casimir IV Jagiellon's in 1973. Now scientists have found that its deadly spores are also lethal to leukaemia and are hoping to begin testing in animals, before eventually moving on to humans. 'Nature has given us this incredible pharmacy, it's up to us to uncover its secrets,' said Dr Sherry Gao, an associate professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. 'Fungi gave us penicillin. These results show that many more medicines derived from natural products remain to be found.' Aspergillus flavus can lie dormant for centuries, only becoming active again once disturbed. It is known to grow on cereals, which were often sealed up as grave goods inside tombs. After archaeologists opened Tutankhamun's tomb a series of untimely deaths among the excavation team - including those of British patron Lord Carnarvon, George Jay Gould, the financier, and Egyptologist Arthur Mace - fuelled rumours of a pharaoh's curse. But experts later theorised that it could have been the fungus, which may have lain dormant for millennia. In the 1970s, a dozen conservationists entered the tomb of Casimir IV in Poland and within weeks, 10 of them had died. Later investigations revealed the tomb contained Aspergillus flavus. In the new study, scientists studied a dozen strains of Aspergillus to see if they produced anything that might be repurposed as a medicine. They discovered potent cancer-fighting molecules, which they named asperigimycins. Even with no modification, the asperigimycins showed strong medical potential against leukaemia cells. When researchers added a molecule found in the royal jelly - the substance that nourishes developing bees - the asperigimycins performed as well as cytarabine and daunorubicin, two drugs that have been used for decades to treat leukaemia. Through further experimentation, the researchers discovered that asperigimycins seem to work by disrupting the process of cancer cell division. 'Cancer cells divide uncontrollably,' added Dr Gao. 'These compounds block the formation of microtubules, which are essential for cell division.' The team also found that the cancer-fighting properties only seemed to work on leukaemia, and had little to no effect on other cancers such as breast, liver or lung cancer. The researchers identified similar clusters of genes in other fungi, suggesting that more potential drugs from fungi remain to be discovered. It suggests that natural remedies to individual cancers may be present already in nature and the scientists are keen to explore whether other fungi also produce similar molecules. 'Even though only a few have been found, almost all of them have strong bioactivity,' said Dr Qiuyue Nie, of the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. 'This is an unexplored region with tremendous potential.'
