Use fungi against prostate cancer

Extracts from a fungus called Phellinus linteus that have been used for hundreds of years in East Asian medicine can be used to combat prostate cancer, US researchers said yesterday.

Mushroom Phellinus linteus (Photo: pref.ishikawa)

'This fungus has been reported to have a positive effect on cancer patients. Our aim is to study the effects of Phellinus linteus, but we also need to know exactly how they have caused these effects, 'said Dr. Chang-Yan Chen of the Boston University School of Medicine and Pharmacy. Massachusetts (USA), the research leader said.

Chang-Yan Chen's group added a very small extract from Phellinus linteus to a prostate cancer medication that was not enough to interfere. They found that this combination killed cancer cells similarly when using cancer drugs in a large dose but did not harm healthy cells.

This finding suggests that the use of lower-dose combination therapy + Phellinus linteus extract can be effective in treating prostate cancer and is less toxic to the body.

According to the International Cancer Research Organization (IARC) based in Lyon, France, prostate cancer kills around 200,000 men worldwide each year. It is the third most common cancer in men, with 543,000 new cases detected each year.

Mushroom Phellinus linteus, also known as the gene genome in China, sang-hwang in Korea and mesimakobu in Japan are considered " longevity" fungi and a precious medicinal ingredient used in oriental medicine y for centuries.

WALL VY