cordycepin (OVI-123) / OncoVista - LARVOL DELTA

Upcycling Chitin Waste and Aged Rice into Fungi Protein Through Fermentation with Cordyceps militaris. (PubMed, J Fungi (Basel)) - "Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) identified 1025 metabolites, including up-regulated bioactive compounds (e.g., cordycepin and piplartine) in chitin-amended substrates, linked to amino acid and lipid metabolism pathways...These findings highlight chitin waste (≤5%) as a viable nitrogen supplement to aged rice, improving the fungal protein yield and bioactive compound synthesis. This approach advances sustainable biomass valorization, offering a scalable strategy to reduce agricultural waste while producing nutrient-dense fungal protein."

Journal • Metabolic Disorders

Antifungal Efficacy of Cordyceps militaris-Mycometabolites Against Major Fungal Diseases of Withania somnifera. (PubMed, J Basic Microbiol) - "In silico investigations revealed that cordycepin, a metabolite, exhibited strong binding affinity to the fungal chitin synthetase protein. These findings suggest that C. militaris metabolites could be used as a potential alternative to synthetic fungicides."

Journal • Infectious Disease

Exploring Cordycepin as a Neuroprotective Agent in Huntington's Disease: In Vitro and In Vivo Insights. (PubMed, Pharmacol Res Perspect) - "In vivo investigations on R6/2 HD transgenic mice reveal a modest increase in body weight and a slight amelioration in pathological aggregates following cordycepin administration, although behavioral changes are not significant. While the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored, the findings suggest cordycepin's promise as a supplementary therapeutic for HD, providing neuroprotective effects and reducing mutant protein aggregates."

Journal • Preclinical • CNS Disorders • Huntington's Disease • Movement Disorders

CRISPR/Cas9-based iterative multi-copy integration for improved metabolite yields in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. (PubMed, Synth Syst Biotechnol) - "When applied to the biosynthesis of ergothioneine and cordycepin, the IMIGE system achieved significant yield improvements, with titers of 105.31 ± 1.53 mg/L and 62.01 ± 2.4 mg/L, respectively, within just two screening cycles (5.5-6 days in total). These yields represent increases of 407.39 % and 222.13 %, respectively, compared to the strains with episomal expression. By streamlining the integration process, utilizing growth-based selection, and minimizing screening demands in both equipment and labor, the IMIGE system could provide an efficient and scalable platform for high-throughput strain engineering, facilitating enhanced microbial production of a wide range of bioproducts."

Journal

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Cordyceps Mushroom on SARS-CoV-2 Using Virtual Screening against Mpro and In Vitro Validation of Cordycepin. (PubMed, J Microbiol Biotechnol) - "Conclusively, the constituents of C. militaris are expected to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication through binding to Mpro. Therefore, C. militaris can be an essential therapeutic for coronavirus through the synergistic effect of its constituents."

Journal • Preclinical • Infectious Disease • Novel Coronavirus Disease • Oncology • Respiratory Diseases

The Effect and Mechanism of Cordycepin on Metabolic-associated Fatty Liver Disease (APASL 2025) - " FFA-induced HepG2 fatty liver cell model was established, and the experimental groupings were Control (Con) group, Model (Mod) group, Cordycepin (Cor) group, Positive control metformin (Met) group, and pathway inhibitor (Cor+LY) group. Cordycepin can treat IR and lipid deposition in FFA-induced HepG2 cells and in high-fat diet-induced MAFLD mice by regulating the PI3K-AKT pathway. Table and Figure:Figure 1.Figure 1. The Effects and Mechanisms of Cordycepin on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in HepG2 Cells Induced by Free Fatty Acids Figure 2.Figure 2 The Therapeutic Effects and Mechanisms of Cordycepin in Mice with MAFLD"

Hepatology • Metabolic Disorders • Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease

Cordyceps militaris extract and cordycepin ameliorate LPS-challenged colonic damage in piglets by modulating the microbiota and metabolite profiles. (PubMed, Front Immunol) - "Meanwhile, the alleviation of colonic damage is achieved through modulation of metabolic pathways linked to tryptophan metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids and butanoate metabolism. Conclusively, our preliminary findings reveal that CPN or CME could serve as a beneficial dietary supplement to alleviate gut diseases in weaning piglets."

Journal • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Metabolic Disorders • Oncology

Cordycepin ameliorates diabetic nephropathy injury by activating the SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway. (PubMed, J Diabetes Investig) - "Cordycepin suppressed HG-induced apoptosis, inflammation, and ferroptosis in podocytes in vitro, and ameliorated renal injury and inflammation in STZ-induced diabetic mice by activating the SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway."

Journal • Diabetes • Diabetic Nephropathy • Inflammation • Metabolic Disorders • Nephrology • Renal Disease • GPX4 • SLC7A11

Enhanced Anti-Tumor Mechanisms of Cordycepin and FT895 Combination Therapy in MPNST (JSNE 2025) - No abstract available

Combination therapy • Oncology • Sarcoma

Cordycepin mediates neuroprotection against apoptosis via ERK/CREB signaling activation in Aβ1-42-induced neuronal cell models. (PubMed, Ibrain) - "Cumulatively, these findings suggest that cordycepin-induced neuroprotection toward Aβ1-42 neurotoxic insult may involve activation of the ERK/CREB pathway. This study expands our knowledge of the neuroprotective function of cordycepin and suggests that it holds promise as a natural lead compound for drug development in AD."

Journal • Alzheimer's Disease • CNS Disorders • Oncology

Substrate Influence on Yield and Biometabolite Production in the Caterpillar Medicinal Mushroom Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes). (PubMed, Int J Med Mushrooms) - "Among the three major biometabolites (cordycepin, adenosine and D-mannitol), cordycepin was found to be highest [11.05 ± 0.03 mg/g dry weight (DW)] in fruit bodies grown on kidney bean. Adenosine was highest (3.30 ± 0.01 mg/g DW) in fruit bodies grown on pearl millet and D-mannitol content of 15.53 ± 0.23 mg/g DW was observed to be highest in fruit bodies obtained from substrate combination composed of cowpea and brown rice. The study highlights that choice of substrate significantly affects the yield and metabolite production of C. militaris."

Journal

Cordycepin's therapeutic potential: in vivo transport, transbilayer diffusion and anti-aging effects. (PubMed, J Sci Food Agric) - "The interaction of cordycepin with BSA transporters and DPPC liposomes enhances its distribution and therapeutic potential. The compound also shows promise as an anti-aging agent by reducing cellular senescence. These findings provide insight into cordycepin's in vivo behavior and suggest strategies to enhance its pharmacological effectiveness."

Journal • Preclinical • Oncology

Distribution and Pharmacokinetic Characteristics of Cordycepin in Rat: Investigated by UHPLC-HRMS/MS and Blood-Brain Synchronous Microdialysis. (PubMed, Biomed Chromatogr) - "Inhibition of adenosine deaminase by racemic 9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl) adenine hydrochloride (EHNA) enhanced cordycepin levels in the blood. This work provides a solid basis for understanding the metabolism of cordycepin and its pharmacological effects."

Journal • PK/PD data • Preclinical

Cordycepin combined with antioxidant effects improves fatigue caused by excessive exercise. (PubMed, Sci Rep) - "Furthermore, cordycepin modulated Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1-mediated oxidative stress and enhanced BDNF levels (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that cordycepin can alleviate excessive exercise-induced fatigue by modulating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and BDNF expression, providing strong supporting evidence for the development of cordycepin-functional foods or anti-fatigue drugs."

Journal • Fatigue

Cordycepin attenuates NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD-mediated LPS-induced macrophage pyroptosis. (PubMed, Front Pharmacol) - "In conclusion, cordycepin inhibits macrophage pyroptosis by reducing XO activity, suppressing ROS production, and regulating the expression of key molecules in the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway. These findings provide a strong experimental basis for the potential development of cordycepin as a novel anti-inflammatory agent."

Journal • Inflammation • CASP1 • IL18 • IL1B • NLRP3

Cordycepin Ameliorates Renal Interstitial Fibrosis by Inhibiting Drp1-Mediated Mitochondrial Fission. (PubMed, Drug Des Devel Ther) - "Crosstalk experiments confirmed that decreased IL-6 levels were crucial for cordycepin anti-fibrotic effects by suppressing fibroblast activation. Cordycepin ameliorates renal fibrosis by targeting Drp1 to inhibit mitochondrial fission in injured renal tubular epithelial cells, reducing IL-6 secretion and inhibiting fibroblast activation."

Journal • Cardiovascular • Fibrosis • Immunology • Inflammation • Renal Disease • Reperfusion Injury • IL6 • MFN2 • TGFB1

Cordycepin mediates pyroptosis in HCC through the upregulation of TXNIP and synergizes with anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy. (PubMed, Hepatol Commun) - "Overall, our study successfully established a combined therapeutic strategy using COR and PD-L1 inhibitors. This strategy has significant synergistic effects on cancer cells, highlighting its importance in cancer therapy."

IO biomarker • Journal • Hepatocellular Cancer • Oncology • CD8 • TXNIP

Cordycepin Ameliorates Kainic Acid-Induced HT22 Cell Neurotoxicity by Activating GPR120-Mediated Mitophagy. (PubMed, Dev Neurobiol) - "Overall, Cor significantly alleviated KA-induced HT22 cell neurotoxic damage and oxidative stress. This protective effect may be mediated through GPR120-regulated mitophagy."

Journal • Review • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy • Inflammation • Metabolic Disorders

Synthesis and Modification of Cordycepin-Phosphoramidate ProTide Derivatives for Antiviral Activity and Metabolic Stability. (PubMed, ACS Bio Med Chem Au) - "The hydrolysis rate of the Rp-isomers was observed to be slightly higher than that of the Sp-isomers, and the addition of a fluorine group also modestly increased this rate and fluorinated 39 S extended its half-life compared to nonfluorinated counterparts. These findings suggested not only structure-activity relationships of cordycepin ProTide but also the comprehensive synthetic route to access cordycepin derivatives for further antiviral development."

Journal • Dengue Fever • Infectious Disease • Influenza • Respiratory Diseases

Cordycepin Extends the Longevity of Caenorhabditis elegans via Antioxidation and Regulation of Fatty Acid Metabolism. (PubMed, Eur J Pharmacol) - "In summary, the current study demonstrated that cordycepin exerted the anti-aging effect on C. elegans by improving the antioxidant system and regulating the genes involved in fatty acid metabolism to inhibit the accumulation of linoleic acid and oleic acid. Therefore, cordycepin might be a promising agent for aging and age-related diseases."

Journal • Cardiovascular • CNS Disorders • Oncology

NUC7738 Induces Apoptosis Through Modulating Stability of P53 in Esophageal Cancer Cells. (PubMed, J Biochem Mol Toxicol) - "NUC7738, a cordycepin derivative, has shown promise in overcoming the limited in vivo efficacy of its parent compound. Additionally, NUC7738 combined with cisplatin showed enhanced anticancer effects both in vitro and in vivo. These findings highlight greater potential of NUC7738 for clinical application, particularly in improving p53 stability and augmenting chemotherapeutic efficacy."

Journal • Esophageal Cancer • Oncology • Targeted Protein Degradation

Cordycepin alleviates renal ischemia-reperfusion injury by suppressing the p38/JNK signaling pathway. (PubMed, Int Immunopharmacol) - "The findings indicated that cordycepin significantly mitigated renal IRI by inhibiting the p38/JNK signaling pathway in the renal tubular epithelial cells, thereby suppressing inflammation, cell apoptosis, and ferroptosis. These findings offer a novel avenue for improving the prognosis of renal transplant recipients and allograft survival."

Journal • Cardiovascular • Inflammation • Metabolic Disorders • Reperfusion Injury • Transplantation

Molecular Engineering of Cordycepin Derivatives for Enhanced Biological Activity and Stability. (PubMed, ChemMedChem) - "Additionally, compound 4b demonstrated notable DPPH free radical scavenging ability. These compounds also showed improved stability in ADA solutions, providing valuable insights into the structure-activity relationships of cordycepin derivatives."

Journal • Oncology

Cordyceps militaris solid medium extract alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury via regulating gut microbiota and metabolism. (PubMed, Front Immunol) - "Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common respiratory disease, Cordycepin has been reported to reduce ALI, which is an effective component in Cordyceps militaris solid medium extract (CMME)...Metabolic analysis indicated that CMME reversed the levels of differential metabolites and may ameliorate lung injury through purine metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and bile acid (BA) metabolism, and CMME did reverse the changes of BA metabolites in ALI mice, and BA metabolites were associated with inflammatory factors and intestinal flora. Therefore, CMME may improve lung injury by regulating intestinal flora and correcting metabolic disorders, providing new insights into its mechanism of action."

Journal • Acute Lung Injury • Inflammation • Metabolic Disorders • Respiratory Diseases

The combination of ultraviolet mutagenesis and PPX1 overexpression synergistically enhanced S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthesis in industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae. (PubMed, Enzyme Microb Technol) - "This study aimed to construct a stable and high-accumulating SAM industrial strain through successive ultraviolet irradiation (UV) mutations coupled with three resistant (ethionine, nystatin, and cordycepin, respectively) screening procedures and metabolic engineering strategies. Furthermore, 11.65 g/L SAM was accumulated with 113 mg/g DCW SAM content in a 5-L fermenter at 96 h, marking a 36.57 % increase compared to strain ZJT15-33 (8.53 g/L). These results indicated that UV mutagenesis combined with PPX1 overexpression could effectively improve SAM synthesis in S. cerevisiae, providing a feasible approach for developing highly SAM industrial production."

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