Mushroom Compound Suppresses Prostate Tumors

A mushroom used in Asia for its medicinal benefits has been found to be effective in suppressing prostate tumor development in mice during early trials. Patrick Ling, from Queensland University of Technology (Australia), and colleagues have determined that polysaccharopeptide (PSP), a compound present in the ‘turkey tail’ mushroom, targets prostate cancer stem cells and suppresses tumor formation.  Observing that: “Whereas 100% of the mice that fed with water only developed prostate tumors at the end of experiment, no tumors could be found in any of the mice fed with PSP, suggesting that PSP treatment can completely inhibit prostate tumor formation,” the team submits that: “Our results not only demonstrated the intriguing anti-[cancer stem/progenitor cells] effect of PSP, but also revealed, for the first time, the surprising chemopreventive property of oral PSP consumption against prostate cancer.”