The zombie fungus from The Last of Us ‘could save lives’

When most people think of parasitic, otherworldly-looking mushrooms that cam zombify creatures, we don’t think of positive things.

But scientists say that global pandemic-causing fungus featured in the HBO series The Last of Us could lead to a game-changing cancer treatment.

Cordyceps militaris, also known as caterpillar fungus, zombifies ground-dwelling insect larvae. They feast on the critter until it dies and, when it’s more mush than insect, a stalk-like mushroom sprouts from the caterpillar’s head.

The University of Nottingham has discovered that the caterpillar-zombifying chemical produced by the fungus, cordycepin, can thwart cancer cell growth.

In the new study published in the journal FEBS Letters, researchers measured the effects of the compound on genes inside cells.

Scientists compared the chemical to other treatments and found it ‘works by acting on the growth inducing pathways of the cell in all case’.

Once inside the cell, the compound turns into ‘cordycepin triphosphate’. This is the mushroom’s ‘analogue’ to adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, a tiny molecule that stores energy.

Cordycepin triphosphate blocks two signalling pathways often hijacked by cancer cells. Researchers aren’t sure which molecules cordycepin triphosphate targets, but the compound works quickly.

‘Cordycepin triphosphate was shown to be the likely cause of the effects on cell growth, and therefore the molecule that can directly affect cancer cells,’ researchers said.

This ‘could be less damaging to healthy tissues than most currently available treatments’.

Cornelia de Moor, from the School of Pharmacy, added: ‘Our data confirms that Cordycepin is a good starting point for novel cancer medicines and explains its beneficial effects,’ said

‘For instance, derivatives of cordycepin could aim to produce the triphosphate form of the drug to have the same effect.

‘In addition, the data will help with monitoring the effects of cordycepin in patients, as our data indicate particular genes whose activity reliably responds to cordycepin, which could for instance be measured in blood cells.’

Cordyceps militaris has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

The fungus is part of a family of mushrooms called ophiocordyceps, with The Last of Us imagining a mutated strain that uses humans as hosts.

Currently, ants are its go-to target. Chemicals – like cordycepin – are pumped out by fungal cells that sneak into the insects before essentially devouring the ant from the inside.

The ant, however, goes by its daily business as if nothing is wrong until the fungus shoots needlelike projections into the ant’s muscles and chemicals that make the ant leave the nest, climb plant and die.

That’s when, like the cordyceps militaris, an alien-like stalk bursts out of the ant’s head to release spores. And if an unsuspecting ant strolls by, the cyclerepeats itself.

Sci-fi horror stuff, right? Thankfully, these mushrooms aren’t going to turn on us anytime soon, experts stress.

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