title: Toward a Cancer Drug of Fungal Origin.
abstract: Although fungi produce highly structurally diverse metabolites, many of which have served as excellent sources of pharmaceuticals, no fungi-derived agent has been approved as a cancer drug so far. This is despite a tremendous amount of research being aimed at the identification of fungal metabolites with promising anticancer activities. This review discusses the results of clinical testing of fungal metabolites and their synthetic derivatives, with the goal to evaluate how far we are from an approved cancer drug of fungal origin. Also, because in vivo studies in animal models are predictive of the efficacy and toxicity of a given compound in a clinical situation, literature describing animal cancer testing of compounds of fungal origin is reviewed as well. Agents showing the potential to advance to clinical trials are also identified. Finally, the technological challenges involved in the exploitation of fungal biodiversity and procurement of sufficient quantities of clinical candidates are discussed, and potential solutions that could be pursued by researchers are highlighted.
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Kornienko
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126, Napoli, Italy.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Evidente
authors: Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council, Via Amendola 122/0, 70126, Bari, Italy.
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Vurro
authors: Laboratorie de Cancérologie et de Toxicologie Expérimentale, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Véronique
authors: V
authors: Mathieu
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126, Napoli, Italy.
authors: Alessio
authors: A
authors: Cimmino
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126, Napoli, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Evidente
authors: Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa.
authors: Willem A L
authors: WA
authors: van Otterlo
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666.
authors: Ramesh
authors: R
authors: Dasari
authors: Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Florence
authors: F
authors: Lefranc
authors: Laboratorie de Cancérologie et de Toxicologie Expérimentale, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Kiss
mesh_terms: D000730:Androstadienes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016590:Aphidicolin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003510:Cyclohexanes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D054659:Diketopiperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015195:Drug Design; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D018942:Macrolides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077191:Wortmannin
chemical_list: D000730:Androstadienes; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D003510:Cyclohexanes; D054659:Diketopiperazines; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D018942:Macrolides; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D014255:Trichothecenes; C119340:phenylahistin; D016590:Aphidicolin; C026211:fumagillin; C041443:rhizoxin; C008105:illudin S; C001809:diacetoxyscirpenol; D000077191:Wortmannin
keywords: anguidine; aphidicolin; clinical trials; drug resistance; fumagillin; fungal metabolites; illudin S; phenylahistin; rhizoxin; wortmannin