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'Curse of Tutankhamun' Could Hide a Secret Cancer-Fighting Compound
LUXOR GOVERNORATE, EGYPT, JUN 30 – Researchers bioengineered molecules from Aspergillus flavus fungus to target leukemia cells, with compounds performing as well as FDA-approved chemotherapy drugs in lab tests.
- A study released on June 30, 2025, demonstrates that a fungus originating from King Tutankhamun’s tomb can be cultivated and transformed into a compound capable of destroying leukemia cells in laboratory experiments.
- This study builds on background reports of a deadly fungus, Aspergillus flavus, linked to mysterious deaths after tomb openings and once blamed for the 'pharaoh's curse'.
- The team purified four molecules called asperigimycins which selectively disrupted leukemia cell division and performed comparably to FDA-approved chemotherapy drugs.
- Lead author Qiuyue Nie explained that understanding the influence of lipids on the gene's role in moving chemicals into cells provides a new opportunity to advance drug development.
- The discovery suggests a promising path for specialized leukemia treatments though further testing, including animal studies and human trials, remains necessary.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Shocked scientists realize King Tutankhamun's curse may cure cancer
King Tutankhamun has been dead for 3,348 years. He’s the most iconic Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, thanks largely to his unforgettable golden funerary mask that’s become a symbol of the ancient world. But, in a very unexpected twist, Tutankhamun may be about to cause a revolution in cancer treatment, and it’s all because of the “curse” on his tomb that’s said to have killed those who opened it. It sounds like something out of a horror movie, but you…
In the 1920s, the world of archaeology was shaken: a series of mysterious deaths befell the participants of the excavation expedition that opened the tomb of Tutankhamun, which was discovered in 1922. The fifth Earl of Carnarvon - an English nobleman who financed the search and excavations in the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, died of a fatal infection in April 1923, about five months after the discovery of the tomb - and others…
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entrelineas.com.mxResearchers at the University of Pennsylvania discovered that the fungus of the “Tutankhamun curse” could serve as a treatment against leukemia. For centuries, it has been believed that this fungus was a kind of supernatural curse due to the consequent effects on the respiratory system. Fungi of the Tutankhamun curse could be treatment for leukemiaResearchers at the University of Pennsylvania, led by Professor Sherry Gao, discovered that the fun…
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania discover that Aspergillus flavus, linked to mysterious deaths in ancient tombs, contains compounds with high anticancer potential For a century it was a symbol of death and mystery. Today, Aspergillus flavus, the dreaded fungus associated with the “Tutankhamun curse”, could become a key anticancer tool. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that this organism produces molecules…
The invisible spectre of ancient tombs We are in 1922. The Egyptologist Howard Carter discovers the tomb of Tutânkhamon in the Valley of Kings. The event is historic. But in the following months, several members of his team, as well as patrons, found death in strange circumstances. Very soon, the media simmered into the affair and spoke of a "curse" attached to the burial of the young Pharaoh. If this supernatural thesis fed generations of novel…
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