Micotherapy

Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), a bioactive compound of Cordyceps militaris, has many pharmacological activities. The present study reveals novel molecular mechanisms for the anti-tumor effects of cordycepin in two different bladder cancer cell lines, 5637 and T-24 cells. Cordycepin treatment, at a dose of 200 M (IC(50)) during cell cycle progression resulted in significant and dose-dependent growth-inhibition, which was largely due to G2/M phase arrest, and resulted in an up-regulation of p21WAF1 expression, independent of the p53 pathway. Moreover, treatment with cordycepin induced phosphorylation of JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinases). Blockade of JNK function using SP6001259 (JNK-specific inhibitor) and small interfering RNA (si-JNK1) rescued cordycepin-dependent p21WAF1 expression, inhibited cell growth, and decreased cell cycle proteins. These results suggest that cordycepin could be an effective treatment for bladder cancer.