A natural compound from a fungus slowed brain tumor cells in the lab
Original title: Therapeutic potential of pachymic acid in glioma: a comprehensive approach combining experimental validation, network pharmacology, and machine learning.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done on cells in a lab, not in people. It is a very early step.
This was only done on cells in a dish and with computer models.
The short version
A natural substance slowed glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary cells in a dish, but it has not been tried in people.
What was studied. Researchers tested pachymic acid, a natural part of the fungus Poria cocos. They put it on glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary cells in the lab. They also used computer tools to look for genes and pathways it might act on.
What they found. Pachymic acid slowed glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary cells from growing. The cells were also less able to move and spread, and some of them died. Larger doses had a stronger effect. The computer work pointed to six genes that may matter. The compound also lowered activity in a cell pathway called PI3K-AKT-mTOR.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Scientists now have a natural compound worth studying further for glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary. It gives them a starting point and some ideas about how it might work.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment anyone can get. The work was done on cells in a dish and on computers. It was not tested in animals or in people. Nobody knows yet if it is safe or if it helps a person with a brain tumor. This is very early science, and it is not a cure. Much more research would be needed before it could ever reach a clinic.
Source: PubMed, July 17, 2026 · Read the original
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