FUNGI AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY: THE DISCOVERY OF CYCLOSPORINE FROM TOLYPOCLADIUM INFLATUM.

FUNGI AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY: THE DISCOVERY OF CYCLOSPORINE FROM TOLYPOCLADIUM INFLATUM.

Fungal species have an immense contribution owing to their potential to carry out the bio-transformations and drug synthesis in diverse conditions and in an eco-friendly manner. Advancement in the biotechnological processes has accelerated the process. Genome sequence information of various fungal species has opened newer avenues for improved and faster drug targeting and designing. The review highlights the production of pharmaceutical drugs and drug intermediates like antibiotics, anti-cancer, anti-cholesterol, anti-diabetic, immunosuppressant, anti-anxiety, anti-virals and many other drugs from fungus. Many of these have been commercialized and there are many more which are either in research or in clinical trial phase. There is a need to exploit and explore the vast biota of fungi in the hope of discovering untapped therapeutic uses of the earth’s countless species of fungus.
Cyclosporine was discovered in 1969. It's produced by a soil mold called Tolypocladium inflatum. In 1996 it was discovered that this mold is actually a stage in the life of a fungus known as Cordyceps subsessilis, which is a parasite of beetles. The soil stage of the fungus is much more common than the parasitic stage.

Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressant. It decreases the activity of the immune system, reducing the probability that it will attack and destroy an organ or tissue coming from another person. The immune system normally protects us from cells and particles that don't belong in our body. By preventing the immune system from doing its job in the case of a transplant, cyclosporine is a potential life-saver. There is a drawback to the drug, however. While taking the medication a patient may be more susceptible to infections because their immune system is hampered.
Cyclosporine is also prescribed for some cases of psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis, especially when these conditions haven't responded to other treatments. These are all autoimmune disorders, conditions in which the immune system is overactive and mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. Dampening the response of the immune system can relieve a patient's symptoms. 

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