Medicinal Mushrooms May Help Fight Cancer?

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Medicinal Mushrooms May Help Fight CancerTurkey Tail Mushroom Triggers Immune

System Response

UPDATED: 10:36 am CDT April 18, 2005

SEATTLE -- It's not the kind of mushroom you would want to eat with your dinner,

but it may be the strongest kind to help fight cancer, thanks to new research

that focuses on the powerful fungus.

Something in our forests could be the newest treatment for cancer. It grows in

the Pacific Northwest and in many parts of Asia, but you probably won't see it.

" As far as finding it growing, it's going to be pretty rare to find that, " said

Jeff Novack, a pharmacologist at Bastyr University in Seattle.

It's called the turkey tail mushroom -- named for its resemblance to the bird. A

new study at Bastyr looks at whether this mushroom has the power to treat or

even prevent cancer.

U.S. researchers will try to determine whether the mushroom is more effective

against certain cancers than others.

" One of the reasons that we picked it is that preliminary data shows very

encouraging evidence that it has very strong effects against cancer cells, "

Bastyr immunologist Wenner said.

The turkey tail is already used to treat cancer in Asia. Researchers in the

United States will specifically look at how breast and prostate cancers respond

to the mushroom. Since it's a fungus, our immune system naturally fights it off.

But it may produce a strong enough reaction to also kill cancer.

" It's actually tricking your body in a way to respond to the fungus, but the

mushroom also is targeting the cancer cells for the immune cells to fight them

off as well, " Wenner said.

Researchers are using an extract of the mushroom for their study. They warn:

Don't go reaching for a bowl of turkey tail yourself. The mushroom is too tough

to eat. But doctors say people can boil the mushroom and drink the broth, which

may contain some healing properties.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Kathleen Warren

Director of Medical Community Relations

Bastyr University

14500 ita Dr. NE

Kenmore, WA 98028-4966

(425) 602-3103

kwarren@...