A wild mushroom makes compounds that killed brain tumor cells in a dish
Original title: Isolation and Characterization of Unusual Terpene Derivatives from the Fungus Echinodontium tinctorium.
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 tested on cells in a lab dish, not in animals or people.
The short version
Scientists found new chemicals in a North American fungus, and some of them killed cancer cells in lab tests.
What was studied. Researchers studied a North American fungus called Echinodontium tinctorium. They pulled apart its chemicals and found two new ones, plus other known compounds. Then they tested the compounds on human cancer cells grown in the lab.
What they found. The two new compounds had only weak effects on human cervical cancer cells and human glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary cells. Two other compounds from the fungus, echinodol and echinodone, had strong effects against a set of human cancer cell lines. In the lab, echinodol made glioblastoma cells start to die and stopped them from dividing normally.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This is very early science. It points to a fungus that may be worth studying more as a source of new drug ideas. For a patient today, it does not change any treatment.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment for brain tumors. The work was done on cells in a dish, not in animals and not in people. Killing cancer cells in a lab dish is a long way from helping a person. Most compounds that look good at this stage never become a medicine. This is not a promise of a cure.
Source: PubMed, July 24, 2026 · Read the original
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