cordycepin (OVI-123) / OncoVista - LARVOL DELTA

Preclinical Evidence of Withania somnifera and Cordyceps spp.: Neuroprotective Properties for the Management of Alzheimer's Disease. (PubMed, Int J Mol Sci) - "Likewise, cordycepin is the main bioactive principle found in Cordyceps fungi. This natural nucleoside has been reported to possess therapeutic potential as an anti-cancer, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory agent, with some studies suggesting a beneficial role in AD treatment. The purpose of the present review is to investigate the pharmacological properties of W. somnifera and Cordyceps species in the context of AD treatment and explore the therapeutic potential of the constitutive bioactive molecules in preclinical models mimicking this neurodegenerative condition."

Journal • Preclinical • Review • Alzheimer's Disease • CNS Disorders • Inflammation • Mood Disorders • Oncology • Psychiatry

The Electronic Properties of Cordycepin in the Adenine Nucleoside Landscape: A Theoretical Approach. (PubMed, Molecules) - "These factors can influence the therapeutic potential of Cordycepin. Therefore, further studies on its stability are of utmost importance."

Journal • Oncology

Cordycepin promotes the survival of random-pattern skin flaps via autophagy in a rat model. (PubMed, Cell Signal) - "Overall, our research suggests that Cor regulates angiogenesis, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis by promoting autophagy, which positively affects flap survival."

Journal • Preclinical • Cardiovascular • Reperfusion Injury

Cordycepin is an effective antifungal agent and targets multiple pathways and structures in yeasts. (PubMed, J Appl Microbiol) - "Cordycepin exhibited high antifungal activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.125-0.05 mg/ml against Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. Cordycepin exerted antibacterial effects through damaging cell membranes, inhibiting respiratory metabolism and binding DNA to affect fungal physiological functions."

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Overexpression of Cordyceps militaris Cmcns1/cns2 gene to produce cordycepin results in increased resistance to Ralstonia solawacearum, Alternaria alternate and TMV in tobacco(Nicotiana tabacum L.). (PubMed, Plant Sci) - "Furthermore, expression levels of disease resistance genes NtADR1, NtNPR1, and NtNRG1 in transgenic line OE1 were significantly elevated compared to wild-type plants following treatment with Ralstonia solanacearum and Alternaria alternata. This confirms that the transgenic Cmcns1/cns2 gene enhances disease resistance in tobacco, presenting a new approach for breeding plants with improved disease resistance."

Journal • Gene Therapies • Infectious Disease • Oncology

Immune Modulation With PRaG-1 Treatment (clinicaltrials.gov) - P2 | N=19 | Not yet recruiting | Sponsor: Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University

New P2 trial • Immune Modulation • Immunology • Oncology • Solid Tumor

TBBPA-BDBPE induces ferroptosis in trophoblasts through chaperone-mediated autophagy of GPX4. (PubMed, Ecotoxicol Environ Saf) - "Importantly, our study showed that inhibiting ferroptosis effectively rescues trophoblast function, with cordycepin emerging as a promising therapeutic agent to mitigate TBBPA-BDBPE-induced trophoblast damage. These findings unveil a novel molecular mechanism underlying the toxic effects of TBBPA-BDBPE on placental health and fetal development, underscoring the urgent need for further research into the reproductive toxicity of brominated flame retardants and their implications for maternal and fetal health."

Journal • GPX4

Integrating network pharmacology, quantitative transcriptomic analysis, and experimental validation revealed the mechanism of cordycepin in the treatment of obesity. (PubMed, Front Pharmacol) - "The metabolic pathway, insulin signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, lipid and atherosclerosis pathway, and core targets including CPS1, HRAS, MAPK14, PAH, ALDOB, AKT1, GSK3B, HSP90AA1, BHMT2, EGFR, CASP3, MAT1A, APOM, APOA2, APOC3, and APOA1 are involved in regulating the therapeutic effect of Cpn. This study comprehensively uncovers the potential mechanism of Cpn against obesity based on network pharmacology and quantitative transcriptomics, which provides evidence for revealing the pathogenesis of obesity, suggesting that Cpn is a possible lead compound for anti-obesity treatment."

Journal • Atherosclerosis • Cardiovascular • Genetic Disorders • Obesity • AKT1 • APOA1 • APOA2 • CASP3 • CDC37 • EGFR • HIF1A • HRAS • HSP90AA1 • MAPK14 • MAT1A

Development of an adenosine deaminase-resistant cordycepin prodrug activated by Pseudomonas carboxypeptidase G2. (PubMed, Bioorg Chem) - "Subsequent assessments utilizing the patient-derived breast cancer organoid model have demonstrated notable anticancer efficacy. The development of this prodrug presents a promising strategy to mitigate the inactivation of cordycepin in cancer therapy and minimizing toxicity to healthy cells."

Journal • Breast Cancer • Oncology • Solid Tumor

Algal and Fungal Antioxidants Alleviate Oxidative Stress-Induced Reproductive Defects. (PubMed, Food Sci Nutr) - "Fungi and/or algae-derived metabolites (polysaccharides, carotenoids, ergothioneine, phycobiliproteins, phlorotannins, and cordycepin) alleviate the damages in ovaries and testis and correct the impaired reproductive functions (spermatogenesis, ovulation, fertilization and implantation) in the in vivo models by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase etc.), making mitochondrial parameters better (membrane potential, distribution, dynamics and activity of mitochondria), decreasing oxidative stress (the reductions in intracellular ROS and malondialdehyde levels), inflammation (the reductions in COX-2, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α levels) and apoptosis (the reductions in Caspase-3 and Bax levels) and balancing blood hormone levels (follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone)...However, more in vitro, in vivo, or clinical studies are needed to prove the safety profile and efficacy of..."

Journal • Review • Gynecology • Infectious Disease • Infertility • Inflammation • Sexual Disorders • CASP3 • CAT • IL1B • IL6 • TNFA

Cordycepin ameliorates high glucose-induced proliferation, inflammation, and extracellular matrix deposition in glomerular mesangial cells through Smad7-dependent manner. (PubMed, Mol Immunol) - "These findings suggested that Cor represented a promising therapeutic candidate for mitigating renal damage in diabetic nephropathy. The underlying mechanism involved the enhancement of Smad7 expression, which in turn suppresses TGF-β/Smad signaling and NOX4-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation."

Journal • Chronic Kidney Disease • Diabetes • Diabetic Nephropathy • Fibrosis • Glomerulonephritis • Immunology • Inflammation • Nephrology • Renal Disease • NLRP3 • NOX4 • SMAD7 • TGFB1

Anti-cancer effects of cordyceps sinensis, C. militaris and C. cicadae and their mechanisms of action. (PubMed, J Asian Nat Prod Res) - "Future investigations into the in vivo efficacy and safety profiles of Cordyceps extracts and their bioactive components are greatly encouraged. Additionally, structural modification of cordycepin may offer opportunities to enhance its therapeutic potential."

Journal • Review • Oncology

Enhancing Cordycepin Biosynthesis in Yarrowia lipolytica via Lipid Droplets Compartmentalization Engineering and Optimized Fermentation Strategies. (PubMed, J Agric Food Chem) - "Finally, fed-batch fermentation in a 2.4 L bioreactor for 144 h achieved 4780.75 mg/L (150.1 mg/OD600 and 66.57 mg/g glucose), marking the highest reported titer in Y. lipolytica. This work establishes Y. lipolytica as a high-potential platform for efficient cordycepin biosynthesis."

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Synergistic effect of grassland plants and beneficial rhizosphere bacteria helps plants cope with overgrazing stress. (PubMed, BMC Plant Biol) - "This study provides new insights into the positive interactions between grassland plants and rhizosphere bacteria under OG stress, offering valuable knowledge for developing new fertilizers and better management practices for degraded rangeland restoration and sustainable agriculture development."

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Bovine Serum Albumin-Chitosan Nanoparticles Loaded with Cordyceps militaris Extract: A Novel Approach to Combat MDR Bacteria. (PubMed, Microb Pathog) - "This study aimed to develop Cordyceps militaris extract-loaded BSA-chitosan nanoparticles (BECNPs) and cordycepin loaded BSA-chitosan nanoparticles (BCCNPs) to address MDR bacterial infections...Additionally, biofilm inhibition and growth curve assays revealed significant disruption of biofilm formation and bacterial growth dynamics. These results highlight the potential of Cordyceps militaris extract-loaded BSA-chitosan nanoparticles as innovative antimicrobial agents and versatile drug delivery systems for biomedical application."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Oncology

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

Combination therapy • Oncology • Sarcoma

Multilayered regulation of autophagy-related protein kinase in Cordyceps militaris. (PubMed, Int J Biol Macromol) - "Moreover, the content of cordycepin, ergosterol, and the levels of phospholipids all exhibited significant decreases, indicating that both ΔCmATG1 and ΔCmATG13 impaired autophagy in the respective knockout strains...Taken together, these results demonstrate that the ATG1-kinase complex plays a crucial role in the development of fruiting bodies in C. militaris. This study lays a foundation for further analysis of the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of autophagy in the formation of macrofungal fruiting bodies."

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Cordycepin ameliorates morphine tolerance by inhibiting spinal cord ferroptosis and inflammation via targeting SIRT1. (PubMed, Int J Med Sci) - "Further research found that the above effects of cordycepin on morphine-tolerant rats were abolished by SIRT1 selective inhibitor EX-527. Thus, these findings indicated that cordycepin could ameliorate the development of morphine tolerance by inhibiting spinal cord ferroptosis and inflammation via targeting SIRT1. Collectively, these results demonstrated the protective effects of cordycepin and highlighted its therapeutic potential as a drug component for morphine tolerance treatment and prevention."

Journal • Inflammation • GPX4 • IL1B • IL6 • SIRT1 • SLC7A11 • TNFA

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."

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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