🧬 Cancer-Fighting Mushrooms, Heart Health, and Psilocybin for PTSD Relief

IN TODAY’S EDITION

• 🧬 | Russula mushrooms show potent anticancer properties

• 🩸 | Stropharia peptides rival blood pressure meds

• 🎖️ | Psilocybin aids PTSD relief for veterans

Hi Shroomer. Just a reminder: Fungi research is still breaking ground in Western medicine. Many studies are early-stage—think petri dishes and animal models. But the more we share, the closer we get to real-world clinical use.

EPILEPSY AWARENESS MONTH

You’ve read about epilepsy this month from me. Hear it from the remarkable woman behind Lily’s Lighthouse.

Lily’s Lighthouse’s work isn’t just for the millions of people diagnosed with epilepsy and their families, it’s for all of our benefit. With findings like these, Boylan can launch an observational study to collect data on all of the ailments that people report mushrooms help. That’s where your donation comes in.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

A species shines ⭐️ 2,000+ species of Russula mushrooms were found to eliminate free radicals up to 85% at 5mg/mL and had huge disease-fighting properties, including 94% HIV inhibition at low doses. The star compound, R. griseocarnosa, had powerful liver protection - reducing oxidative stress by 40% and liver scarring by 30% in lab studies. They pack unusually high protein (19-32%) and demonstrated clear anticancer properties through multiple cellular pathways.

Peptides for blood pressure 🩸 Blood pressure-lowering compounds in the Stropharia rugosoannulata mushroom work as well as prescription medications in early studies. The natural peptides lowered blood pressure by over 30 points in just 4 hours at safe, low doses, working by reducing inflammation and boosting the body's immune response.

Cavity research 🪥 A comparative HNBGU study of oyster mushroom proteins against cavities revealed both promise and limitations. While cultivated variety showed 90% pathogen killing in dental bacteria within 4 hours and wild type achieved superior plaque biofilm prevention, practical challenges emerged. Commercial scaling remained difficult - even though wild mushrooms showed better cavity-protective effects, their limited availability poses barriers, with researchers noting "using cultivated variety as primary component" may be necessary despite reduced potency against tooth decay.

Marine fungi against cancer 🪸 Aspergillus, a common fungus, produces powerful anticancer compounds when found in ocean environments. These compounds mainly come from ocean floor sediments (43%), miscellaneous marine sources (31%), sea sponges (16%), and seaweed (10%). The compounds fall into several chemical categories: organic compounds (25%), terpenoids (21%), peptides (18%), phenolics (17%), polyketides (12%), alkaloids (5%), and steroids (2%). These natural compounds can kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Two standout compounds include Terrein, which fights ovarian cancer, and Wentilactone B, which attacks liver cancer cells. 200+ cancer-fighting compounds have been identified, but only one, called Plinabulin, has reached clinical testing.

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

Veterans respond well to psilocybin 🎖️ Single 25mg psilocybin doses helped 60% of veterans with severe treatment-resistant depression achieve significant improvement and 53% reach remission after 3 weeks in a study of 15 participants. Benefits proved durable, with 47% maintaining improvement and 40% remaining in remission at 12 weeks. Having PTSD didn't interfere with treatment success and the treatment proved safe with no unexpected side effects.

Ovarian cancer patients and mental health 💗 A Phase II clinical trial showed psilocybin therapy dramatically reduced anxiety and depression in ovarian cancer patients. Three patients received a single moderate dose of psilocybin (21mg adjusted for body weight) while four got vitamin B3 (250mg niacin) as placebo - all with counseling before and after. The psilocybin group's mental health scores improved by more than 7 points compared to placebo (14.3 versus 7.1 on a standard scale). Benefits started the day after treatment and grew stronger over the full 6-week study, while the placebo group's improvements were temporary.

Mixed results in anorexia treatment 🍄 A Phase 1 UCSD pilot study of psilocybin therapy (25mg) revealed both promise and limitations. While 90% rated it a top-5 life experience and 4/10 patients achieved clinical remission at 3 months, significant challenges emerged. Weight restoration remained difficult - even patients who felt mentally recovered struggled with food behaviors, noting "restoring weight requires effort" despite reduced anxiety.

More data for depression 🧠 This open-source study compared 28 patients receiving psychedelic therapy with 28 healthy volunteers found a 29% reduction in depression scores that persisted at follow-up. While patients experienced 40% less ego dissolution than controls, real-time relaxation scores were the strongest predictor of antidepressant response. 93.5% of patients reported mild side effects that resolved within 48 hours.

Fibromyalgia potential ⭐️ A groundbreaking preprint study testing psilocybin-assisted therapy in fibromyalgia patients showed promising early results, with three participants reporting significant improvement in symptoms. The therapy, combining two doses of psilocybin (15mg and 25mg) with supportive psychotherapy, demonstrated notable reductions in pain severity, sleep disturbance, and anxiety levels and was safe, with only minor transient effects like headaches reported. While these preliminary results from this small, uncontrolled trial are encouraging, three larger clinical trials are currently underway to better understand psilocybin's potential in treating fibromyalgia - a condition affecting 2-4% of the population that is difficult to treat.

Natural psilocybin use by race 🌀 2,833 individuals were analyzed who used psilocybin naturally, comparing outcomes between White participants and Participants of Color over 2-3 months. Race/ethnicity influenced several key measures, with White participants showing 2% higher spiritual wellbeing, 1.5% more cognitive flexibility, but 0.25% lower emotion control compared to Participants of Color. While both groups showed reduced anxiety and depression, Participants of Color approached use differently - setting more intentions and reporting distinct experiences.

Majoring in Psychedelics 🎓 The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) will offer the nation's first Bachelor of Science in psychedelic studies starting 2025, accepting 24 juniors/seniors into their groundbreaking program. The curriculum spans psychology, anthropology, neuroscience and drug history, addressing a market projected to reach $4.6B by 2030. "This is the first Bachelor of Science in psychedelic studies. That's what the diplomas will say," CIIS professor Nick Walker told The SF Standard.

The psychedelics discourse 💹 Josh Hardman of Psychedelic Alpha shared an excellent breakdown of the potential future of psychedelics under Trump’s impending administration.

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

Munching on cigarette waste 🚬 White rot fungus and brown rot fungus, along with bacteria like Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas putida, helped break down cellulose acetate filters from cigarette butts by 24-34% in just 31 days. The study found that bacteria were particularly effective, achieving up to 33% weight loss.

Shiitake extraction breakthrough 🪵 Vietnamese scientists found a better way to extract lentinan (the healthy compound) from shiitake mushrooms. While the new ultrasound method pulled out 63% more of the good stuff and cut extraction time from 3 hours to just 6 minutes, some hurdles remain. Temperature control is tricky - even though 65°C (150°F) worked best, researchers noted "heat really matters" and the equipment costs might make it tough for small-scale producers to adopt.

Mushroom waste solution ♻️ Mexican scientists found a smart way to use "ugly" or damaged mushrooms that usually get tossed. While their new biorefinery process showed 54% return on investment and super fast payback (under 2 years), scaling challenges emerged. Raw material sourcing remained tricky - even though they could process 12,700 tons yearly, researchers noted "availability depends heavily on location" with collection/transport costs potentially limiting wider adoption.

Heat-tolerant fungi signal climate danger 🌡️ Genetic analysis revealed concerning trends in fungal temperature adaptation, showing some species evolving to survive extreme heat (above 113°F). Even though the trait is heritable, researchers noted it's "controlled by multiple genes" making it difficult to predict which species might become dangerous pathogens as temperatures rise. The findings raise serious concerns, as fungal diseases already cause 1.5 million deaths annually and $200 billion in crop losses.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Mind-Altering Medicine: Psychedelics, Science & the Search for Healing

If you’re in or within driving distance of Austin, TX, don’t miss Eugenia Bone on a free panel at Texas Book Festival tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. CST.

Bone is discussing her new book, Have a Good Trip: Exploring the Magic Mushroom Experience, alongside Ernesto Londoño who authored Trippy: The Peril and Promise of Medicinal Mushrooms. This panel will be great for anyone who’s skeptical about the magical “cure-all” language of psilocybin and wants to jump from info-overwhelmed to informed.

SHROOM PICK

Foraged has your hard-to-find ingredients all in one place. They’re a community marketplace of foragers, farmers and artisan food producers who harvest and ship right to your door. Think of it like a big online farmer’s market where you can find specialties, like matsutake mushrooms.

MUSH MORE

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