Antarctic Fungi could make leukemia meds cheaper

  • | Monday | 25th March, 2019

"The moss samples were collected from the land-locked lakes near the Indian research station Maitri, which was established in 1989. Samples of the moss were used to isolate the L-Asparaginase enzyme, which can produce a drug to treat Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). "According to research studies in India, a little less than 10,000 cases of childhood leukemia are reported annually. Of these, ALL accounted for 60-85% of all childhood leukemias.The fungi that were procured from the Antarctic region thrive at extreme temperatures, which is around -30 degrees Celsius (°C) at times. "The ministry of earth sciences has to be involved, but first it must be acceptable to the authorities concerned.

PANAJI: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH) and National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, have discovered a fungus in the sub-zero climes of the Antarctic region which could offer a breakthrough in the treatment of a cancer that predominantly affects children.Researchers identified the moss which grows around the lakes near the Indian research station Maitri. Samples of the moss were used to isolate the L-Asparaginase enzyme, which can produce a drug to treat Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). If commercialized, this would offer a cheaper drug with fewer side effects than the drugs currently being used to treat ALL.ALL is a type of blood cancer in which excess immature white blood cells are produced. The drug treatment currently in use, L-Asparaginase, is isolated from bacteria such as E coli and E chrysanthemi, but they have serious side effects."The strain of fungal species produces L-Asparaginase that is free of glutaminase and urease, two other enzymes that have adverse effects during treatment of cancer," said lead investigator and associate professor at IITH, Devarai Santhosh Kumar. "The purification of the L-Asparaginase to rid it of these two enzymes is a tedious process that requires extensive work as the glutaminase has certain properties similar to asparaginase."A team of scientists involving Anoop Kumar Tiwari (NCPOR) and Asif Qureshi (IITH) visited Antarctica and collected samples during the XXXV Indian scientific expedition to Antarctica. The study was conducted at IITH under the supervision of Kumar, and the findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports in February."ALL is widely observed in pediatric and adult groups," the researchers stated."This study suggests that isolation of fungi from extreme environments such as Antarctica may lead to an important advancement in therapeutic applications with fewer side effects."According to research studies in India, a little less than 10,000 cases of childhood leukemia are reported annually. Of these, ALL accounted for 60-85% of all childhood leukemias.The fungi that were procured from the Antarctic region thrive at extreme temperatures, which is around -30 degrees Celsius (°C) at times. The fungal strains were cultivated in the lab and were tested at temperatures ranging from 25-35°C."The moss samples were collected from the land-locked lakes near the Indian research station Maitri, which was established in 1989. These lakes are 80km from the coastal region and have low mineral content," said Kumar.But the journey to clinical use of the fungi is long and hard. "Clinical trials are the next stage but this is a long process," Tiwari said. "The ministry of earth sciences has to be involved, but first it must be acceptable to the authorities concerned."The ministry of earth sciences and National Center for Polar and Ocean Research will have to take the discussion forward and will also have to ensure that commercialization of the fungus does not run afoul of bioprospecting norms that govern the Antarctic region.

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