Mushrooms Used to Battle Leukemia

August 3, 2005

Here's another one - Mushrooms?

12:37 Aug 03, '05 / 27 Tammuz 5765

By A. M. Goldstein

r.jpg> MyCure, a Kiriat Shemona-based start-up, is on its way to

developing an anti-cancer drug that will battle a form of leukemia known as

CML.

The drug is the result of research initiated by Dr. Jamal Mahajna of the

Upper Galilee Knowledge Center (Migal Ltd.), based on work on medicinal

mushrooms conducted by Prof. Wasser [pictured] of the University of

Haifa.

The anti-cancer agent resulting from this particular research breakthrough

is protected by a patent filed in the United States and held jointly by

Carmel-Haifa University Economic Corp. and Migal.

The two researchers located two mushrooms that contain active material with

a potential to combat CML, chronic myeloid leukemia, with more endurance

than the present drug on the market, Gleevec, developed by Novartis. The

disease is relatively rare but still accounts for some 20% of adults

diagnosed with leukemia.

MyCure was set up within the Meytav technological incubator, considered one

of Israel's leading incubators in the field of the life sciences. The

company is now defining the chemical structure of the two mushroom's active

molecules. At a later stage, it will work on improving their other

biological qualities.

MyCure has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with the Migal and Carmel

for use of the patent to develop and market drugs that will overcome CML.

Prof. Wasser, a senior investigator at the University of Haifa's Institute

of Evolution, is one of the world's leading experts in studying the

medicinal and other traits of the lowly mushroom. He holds other patents

resulting from his work with fungi, and heads the Institute of Evolution's

Biodiversity and Evolution of Cryptogamic Plants and Fungi Center.

This article originally appeared in Haifa University's Focus Magazine

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