Fungus from Tutankhamun's tomb shows promise as cancer treatment

Historical deaths of approximately 10 archaeologists attributed to Aspergillus flavus fungal infections during tomb excavations in the 1920s-1970s.

From the sealed chambers of ancient tombs to the laboratories of modern medicine, a fungus long feared as an instrument of death is being reimagined as a healer. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have transformed Aspergillus flavus — the microorganism implicated in the deaths of archaeologists who disturbed Tutankhamun's burial chamber — into an engineered compound that selectively destroys leukemia cells while sparing healthy tissue. The discovery invites us to consider how often the boundary between poison and cure is not fixed, but waiting to be redrawn by human ingenuity and cu

Fungus from Tutankhamun's tomb shows promise as cancer treatment

Cobertura Relacionada

Receba o Register no seu e-mail