Ancient ‘pharaoh’s curse’ fungus shows promise in killing cancer cells

Ancient ‘pharaoh’s curse’ fungus shows promise in killing cancer cells

Scientists modified fungal molecules to create compounds that performed as well as FDA-approved drugs

A sample of Aspergillus flavus cultured in the Gao Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. (Bella Ciervo / UPenn)

After archaeologists opened King Tut’s tomb in the 1920s, members of the excavation team died suddenly, fueling rumors of a "curse" upon those who disturbed the pharaoh’s rest. (Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

First author Qiuyue Nie and coauthor Maria Zotova, from left, purify samples of the fungus in the UPenn lab. (Bella Ciervo / UPenn)

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer. Once the identified compound is able to enter cancer cells, it may be able to stop their uncontrolled growth, the researchers said. (iStock)