Could Fungi Help Treat Cancer?
Cancer is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide: existing treatment is imprecise and often comes with brutal side effects, which is why oncologists are always on the hunt for new therapies. On the flip side, "cancer preventing" foods, supplements, and even alternative "detox therapies" feeding on public anxiety are all the rage nowadays as modern carcinogens (microplastics, processed meats, and heavy metal pollution) increasingly come to life.
Social media really isn't helping--to no one's surprise, your favorite doomscrolling algorithms have, in fact, exacerbated the spread of health misinformation. Until one fateful Friday night, I had no idea my fruit basket contained cancer-causing pesticides only a particular electrolysis capsule could eradicate, nor was I aware of the havoc the terrible vibrations of cellular data wreaked on my cells (BioResonance "Therapy" is still hawked as a cure to cancer due to it's "normalization of wave emissions"). While the only negative energy my WiFi may give off is the monthly bill, the stigma around new cancer therapies remains: why are fungi any different? As we examine the scientific research, we'll be able to examine the role of fungi in cancer treatment and answer exactly that.
What in a mushroom could fight cancer?
Anti-cancer compounds isolated from fungi
Image credit: Patel, S., Goyal, A. Recent developments in mushrooms as anti-cancer therapeutics: a review. 3 Biotech 2, 1–15 (2012). doi.org. Used under CC BY 3.0.
A literature review published in Biotech describes the anti-cancer uses of many different fungi species and genera, seven of which I go into detail about.
n.b. At the end of this article, I have included a handy diagram of some medicinal mushrooms with anti-cancer potential for reference; please do check it out to get a sense of what the following fungi I describe look like!
Antrodia camphorta (Camphor Mushroom)
The Camphor Mushroom is highly valued in Taiwan--the only region where it is naturally found--and for good reason.
Several compounds and extracts from this fungus have been shown to prevent cancer cells from moving or attacking other cells, inhibiting the cell cycle, and causing apotosis (programmed cell death). A study conducted by Yang et al. (2011) found that 20-80 μg/mL (micrograms per milimeter, a measurement for mass concentration) of Antrodia camphorta successfully repressed highly metastatic (aggressive) breast cancer cells from spreading. Another study found that a fermented broth of A. camphorata resulted in dose and time dependent apotosis of breast cancer cells. Exactly how, though, did a mushroom inhibit cancer cell progression? The answer lies in it's supression of the MAPK pathway. MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) is a chain of signals inside a cell that helps control processes such as growth and movement. By supressing it, you are effectively blocking these signals, causing the cancer cells to become less invasive.
There's a catch, however: the cancer cells the fungus extract¹ was effective against were lab grown--and what may work in a petri dish against man-made cells very often does not work in nearly the same way (or at all) in a real, living, human. In the lab, scientists pour the treatment directly onto the cancer cells, while in a human, a drug must make it through your stomach and liver, travel through the bloodstream, and successfully navigate to the exact site of the tumor without breaking down: all while being in a safe enough dose so that it doesn't damage your organs.
In addition, it was found that antroquinonol, a compound isolated from A. camphorata, helped stop the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, but again, there is still much more to be done when it comes to applying this to the human body.
¹The "fungus extract" is a fermented broth containing the active compounds secreted by the mushroom collected as the mushroom grew.
Agaricus subrufescens(known as 'Cogumelo do Sol' in Brazil, or 'Himematsutake' in Japan)
Depending on where you are, this mushroom has two common names (I'll refer to it as Himenmatsutake from here on), and was historically known as Agaricus blazei Murill, (Murill as in the mycologist who "discovered" it). A. subrufescens had already been discovered in 1893 by Charles Horton Peck, and was rediscovered in Brazil by scientists under the impression that it was an entirely different mushroom and named A. blazei Murill. Other name changes were suggested after DNA testing proved the two fungi were one and the same, but since A. subrufescens is the oldest name, it is generally considered to be the scientifically correct one.
A. subrufescens has actually been used traditionally for cancer prevention. A few studies have been done on its anti-cancer potential, such as a 2001 study on mice (due to its age, this isn't the most reliable source) that found immunomodulatory (it affects how the immune system responds), anti-carcinogenic (anti-cancer), and anti-mutagenic effects (prevents mutations) from A. subrufescens compounds.
Furthermore, a compound called agaritine (derived from A. subrufescens) was shown to have killed human leukemia lab-grown cancer cells in a laboratory test. It did this by releasing molecules and enzymes that triggered apoptosis.
Genus Russula
Charcoal Burner (Russula cyanoxantha)
"File:Russula cyanoxantha.JPG" by Panterka, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0(Cropped).
Russula cyanoxantha, also known as the Charcoal Burner, named after it's color changing cap that resembles a burning charcoal, contains a bioactive (having an effect on a living organism/cell) steroid called ergone.² When introduced to human liver cancer cells in a 2011 study, this compound showed the typical markers of apoptosis such as the fragmentation of the cell nuclei and hindering the cells' reproductive cycle.
It's also interesting to note that a cousin species, Russula lepida, was shown to stop the rapid growth of liver and breast cancer cells: when administered to animal models, there was a notable 67.6% reduction in physical tumor weight.
² (Admittedly, attempting to remember and type its actual chemical name, Ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one, out loud might actually cause more physiological distress than the cell damage itself. )
Genus Phellinus
Quite a few studies have investigated the anti-carcinogenic properties of the genus Phellinus, a genus of wood decay fungi. In a 2008 study, Baker et al. demonstrated that the Phellinus linteus mushroom fights cancer in two major ways:
It's sugar structures called β-(1 → 3)³ linked glycans. Mushrooms contain complex sugars called glycans (or beta-glucans), which your body does not naturally contain. When specialized immune cells called macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells (see my post about natural killer cells and fungi here) sense this compound, they mistake it for an invading pathogen and sound a false alarm. This sets off a witch hunt for any abnormal cells (tumors included) and tries to stop them from spreading to other organs, which is called anti-metastasis.
The fungus has antimutagenic properties, meaning it's a metaphorical "mutation shield" for DNA. This is primarily due to how it neutralizes toxins by producing enzymes that prevent cancer from developing in the first place.
This same fungus also displays remarkable anti-tumor properties, but to properly understand this, you'll first have to know that tumors need a constant blood supply to form. To get it, they force the body to grow blood vessels in a process known as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis not only depletes the body of oxygen and nutrients it needs for normal functions, but also allows for cancerous cells to break away from the tumor and spread to other areas of the body through this new network of vessels, none of which is good. Kim et al. (2004a) & Lee et al. (2010) found that P. linteus extracts are anti-angiogenic, meaning they block this process. The mushroom also attacks tumors from a completely different, immune system-focused angle--after treating mice with liver tumors with a fungal extract, a separate 2011 study found that their tumors shrank significantly.
³The β represents the 3D shape of the sugar chain, and the 1→ 3 describes the bonding structure of the sugar chain (glycans are carbohydrates, which are sugars).
Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)
Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor).
Photo credit: Fungi Perfecti, www.fungi.com
Phellinus linteus isn't the only tumor-fighting fungus, though. Another heavily researched fungus is the distinctive Turkey Tail. Hsieh and Wu (2001) found that a specific Turkey Tail extract called Yunzhi slows down prostate cancer cells. If developed further, this could stop the cancer from mutating into a much more aggressive, treatment-resistant state.
A literature review found that raw Turkey Tail extracts stalled the growth of stomach, lung, leukemia, and lymphoma cancer cells in laboratory tests, and a 2010 study looked at how the mushroom's sugars forced liver cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. Standish et al. (2008) looked at a Turkey Tail polysaccharide (sugar molecule) discovered in the 1960s, Polysaccharide Krestin (PSK), due to its great potential as a breast cancer therapy adjunct; it helps prevent tumors from forming in the first place by boosting the body's natural defense pathways to better clear abnormal cells. The Shennong Bencaojing, the oldest surviving text on TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), shows that Turkey Tail was used for thousands of years as a folk remedy, and has been used after initial treatment of cancer with no known side effects. In fact, in Japan, Krestin is already approved as a formal medicine used alongside chemotherapy.
Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris & Cordyceps sinensis)
A woody aroma permeates the pharmacy. Reishi and herbal remedies mingle in the air. Ahead of me, a transaction is unfolding: the clerk, pulling on gloves, walks over to a locked glass case, the kind you would see at a Cartier. I wait for him to pull out a crystal mortar and pestle, or perhaps some out-of-place jade jewelry, but I am instead met with mummified caterpillars boasting overachieving liberty spikes.
This is cordyceps, a parasitic fungus that grows on ghost moth caterpillars and can cost up to $20,000 per kilogram (yes, that's four zeros) due to its high value in the TCM world. Scientists have isolated compounds from cordyceps that may have applications beyond the herbal pharmacy.
A species with particular potential is Cordyceps militaris--in a 2010 study, compounds from C. militaris slowed the growth of prostate, colon, and liver cancer cells by reducing the production of inflammation-causing molecules such as nitric oxide. Other research looked at a compound from C. militari called cordlan, which encourages the development of dendritic cells. Dendritic cells are immune cells that detect foreign cells (like cancer cells) and engulf them. This is very important for cancer treatment as tumors often interfere with dendritic cell maturation so that the immune system cannot recognize nor attack them nearly as easily.
Another fungus with cancer-fighting abilities is Ophiocordyceps sinensis, which contains the anti-carcinogenic compound cordycepin that triggered apoptosis in experiments with leukemia cells. To do this, it produces a bunch of ROS (reactive oxygen species), highly reactive molecules that cells normally produce during metabolism. Too much ROS, however, damages cellular components, and that is what is causing the cell death in this case.
So, all of this sounds great, right? Cordycepin definitely sounds like a compound that could help treat cancer, so why are we still beaming patients with radiation? Well, there are two major roadblocks (aside from the fact that we still need more data; all this is under the theoretical assumption that cordycepin would be a licensed drug). First of all, if approved, cordycepin would be a systemic drug⁴, which means it needs to travel through the bloodstream so that it can reach the tumor. The only issue is, as tumors grow, they outgrow their blood supply, leaving the center of the tumor cut off from normal blood vessels, so cordycepin wouldn't have a way to penetrate the tumor.
Secondly, it's pretty clear by now that what works in the lab doesn't always work in the body, and cordycepin is no exception. The compound needs to pass through three "checkpoints" to work. It helps to think of this like you're at an airport: first, you need to check your luggage, then go through security, and finally, get your boarding pass scanned again before you can finally board. Cordycepin, meanwhile, needs a transporter called hENT1 to enter many cells, an enzyme to activate it, and lastly, to avoid being broken down by another enzyme in the bloodstream before it may reach the tumor in question.
Well, Oxford University researchers and the biopharmaceutical company NuCana tried to solve the second problem. They knew they couldn't just give the patients more cordycepin (see my footnote), so instead, they modified cordycepin itself, attaching temporary chemical groups to it that are then removed through natural bodily processes and therefore releasing the drug. They named the resulting drug NUC-7738, which showed up to 40 times greater potency against some cancer cells than cordycepin. An important distinction must be made, however: "40 times greater potency" does not mean that it killed cancer cells 40 times better in patients. It instead means that, under the particular conditions during the study, NUC-7738 produced the same cancer-cell-killing effect that it would require more cordycepin to produce.
The researchers then began testing NUC-7738 in the Phase 1 clinical trial, which basically means they are doing early tests in humans to determine whether or not the drug is safe to continue developing. The patients in the trial had advanced solid tumors that previously stopped responding to conventional treatments, and NUC-7738 was indeed tolerated by patients and showed encouraging signs of anti-cancer activity! Recently, NuCana received clearance to test the drug on patients within the United States and has reached Phase 2 testing. It's still important to note that NUC-7738 is not yet an approved drug quite yet.
⁴No matter how safe a drug is, it's still a systemic treatment. Cordycepin would hypothetically travel through the entire bloodstream; if a patient needs a higher dose for a particularly stubborn tumor, all those cell-destroying effects will be applied everywhere else.
Flammulina velutipes (Enoki or the Winter Mushroom)
Wild enoki is actually an orange-brown shade, contrary to the thin-stalked, pale fungus you might find at the supermarket, because of the sunlight it receives in nature. Looks can be deceiving--sometimes, the most unassuming things are the most intriguing, and enoki is no exception.
Enoki mushrooms...were one of the first mushrooms studied for preventing cancer.
–Paul Stamets
One of the compounds found in Flammulina velutipes, or enoki, is FIP-fve, a fungal protein that stimulates the immune system. FIP-fve has been shown to activate T cells, immune cells that help recognize and respond to abnormal cells. In a 2010 study, researchers gave FIP-fve to mice with liver cancer. The mice that received the cancer displayed increased longevity, smaller tumors, and a stronger immune response against the tumor. Also, FIP-fve reduced angiogenesis (the formation of blood vessels to feed a tumor).
Researchers have also tested extracts of F. velutipes against breast cancer, in which it hindered their growth by about 99%.
Final Thoughts
That was a lengthy post explaining select parts of a very lengthy discussion about fungi and its applications in cancer--that's why it doesn't come as a shock when I say it took me a quite lengthy period of time to put this together! To wrap things up, I've put together a few takeaways.
Scientists have identified compounds from fungi that affect cancer in several ways, such as inducing apoptosis, stimulating the immune system, and helping to prevent the spread of cancer. However, most of the research (especially the studies cited in this article) were done on animals against lab-grown cells. Positive effects in mice do not always remain that way in a human patient, so it's safe to say almost all the compounds isolated from fungi we discussed will need much, much more research before you'll start hearing about them being applied in cancer treatment.
A common misconception about mushrooms and medicine is that eating a bunch of [insert species name here] is going to greatly assist in the fight against cancer. It won't. The anti-carcinogenic compounds detailed were from compounds isolated from the mushroom, which takes an extra lab, industrial boiling tanks, temperature-controlled fermenters, and ultrafiltration system. Maybe throw in a centrifuge or two while you're at it. Consuming Turkey Tail fungus, for example, is not going to give you the same results achieved in the lab, simply because you aren't going to get enough, and you would need a bunch of equipment to isolate specific compounds. In addition, sometimes the molecule in the mushroom just isn't powerful enough: fungi can provide the starting point, but they often need to be optimized. That's why NuCana had to redesign cordycepin to create NUC-7738 (which, by the way, is one of the best examples we have in which mycology could revolutionize cancer treatment).
And now for the big question: could fungi actually help treat cancer? Even though not every anti-cancer compound mentioned will become a drug, fungi really do have the potential; we just need the tweaking (and funding) to get them to a level safe for human use. Do take this with a grain of salt, though: scientists still aren't entirely sure if these compounds will become safe for human use, even with promising cases like NUC-7738, or if their benefits will outweigh their risks. As it often is in science, all we can definitively say is that more (especially human!) research is needed.
As we're still growing our community at Morel of the Story, please do not hesitate to share this article with a friend; this spreads the word and helps us to keep creating content! Finally, feel free to take a look at our Substack, and the diagram of fungi with anti-carcinogenic potential below.
Some medicinal mushrooms with anti-cancer potential
Reproduced from Patel, S., Goyal, A. Recent developments in mushrooms as anti-cancer therapeutics: a review. 3 Biotech 2, 1–15 (2012). doi.org. Used under CC BY 4.0.
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Patel, Seema, and Arun Goyal. “Recent developments in mushrooms as anti-cancer therapeutics: a review.” 3 Biotech vol. 2,1 (2012): 1-15. doi:10.1007/s13205-011-0036-2, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3339609/
“Anti-Cancer Drug Derived from Fungus Shows Promise in Clinical Trials | University of Oxford.” Www.Ox.Ac.Uk, https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-10-08-anti-cancer-drug-derived-fungus-shows-promise-clinical-trials. Accessed 20 Sept. 2026.
Man-Fan Wan, Jennifer. “Polysaccaride Krestin (PSK) and Polysaccharopeptide PSP.” Handbook of Biologically Active Peptides, Elsevier, 2013, pp. 180–84, https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-385095-9.00027-0. Accessed 20 Sept. 2026.
