Cordyceps fungi excel at infecting and killing insects. One particular species, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, has become famous for its ability to turn ants into zombies. It grows through an ant’s body, creating a network of filaments that commandeers the insect’s muscles.
In this case, once the ant is infected, the Cordyceps causes it to climb up to the top of a plant. The ant then attaches its mandibles to the leaf or stem so it cannot move, and then simply waits to die. Eventually, the fungus grows out of the ant’s body, and releases spores into the air.
Cordyceps is a fungi genus that belongs to a group of fungi known as ascomycetes or such fungi. As such, they are characterized by a sac-like appendage that contains spores. Genus Cordyceps is made up of over 400 species of fungi, most of which exist as endoparasites.
How do cordyceps work?
Cordyceps is a genus of parasitic fungi that grows on the larvae of insects. When these fungi attack their host, they replace its tissue and sprout long, slender stems that grow outside the host’s body.
Long used in traditional Chinese medicine, cordyceps is available in the United States as a dietary supplement. There are 400 species of cordyceps, most of which are native to Bhutan, China, Korea, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Most cordyceps supplements are made in a lab. Cordyceps might improve immunity by stimulating cells and specific chemicals in the immune system. It might also help fight cancer cells and shrink tumor size, particularly with lung or skin cancers.
How do Cordyceps kill their hosts?
Certain species of Cordyceps, such as Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, can alter its host’s behavior. In this case, once the ant is infected, the Cordyceps causes it to climb up to the top of a plant. The ant then attaches its mandibles to the leaf or stem so it cannot move, and then simply waits to die.
Can Cordyceps kill cancer cells?
According to a 2008 study published in the Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, a cordyceps extract was able to trigger apoptosis (cell death) in breast cancer cells in test tube studies. Similar results have been seen with colon cancer cells. The cordycepins in the cordyceps mushroom also appear to be toxic to leukemia cells.
Kidney damage caused by the drug cyclosporine. There is early evidence that taking cordyceps with cyclosporine can reduce kidney damage caused by cyclosporine in people with kidney transplants. Early evidence shows that taking cordyceps by mouth might improve liver function in people with hepatitis B.