Mushroom Compound Found to Increase Effectiveness of Cancer Drugs

A compound derived from a poisonous mushroom has been found to significantly improve the efficacy of some cancer drugs.  Dr. Kebin Liu, cancer immunologist at the Georgia Health Sciences University Cancer Center and colleagues found that verticillin A was able to kill cancer cells on its own, however the dose required made to do so made mice in the study sick. Further research showed that a lower dose of verticillin A appeared to stop cancer cells from developing resistance to the cancer drug TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand), and also sensitized resistant cells to TRAIL thus improving its efficacy.  The compound was also found to improve the efficacy of the cancer drugs etoposide and cisplatin. Verticillin A appears to work by upregulating BN1P3, a gene that promotes apoptosis. Cancer cells silence BN1P3 through a process called DNA methylation; however verticillin A appears to modify DNA methylation in order to turn the gene on.