A LITERATURE REVIEW OF FUNGALLY DERIVED ANTITUMOR AGENTS REVEALS THAT THE FUNGI CONSTITUTE A GROUP OF EASILY COLLECTED SPECIES INDIGENOUS TO WESTERN EUROPE, THE EASTERN UNITED STATES, AND JAPAN.

A LITERATURE REVIEW OF FUNGALLY DERIVED ANTITUMOR AGENTS REVEALS THAT THE FUNGI CONSTITUTE A GROUP OF EASILY COLLECTED SPECIES INDIGENOUS TO WESTERN EUROPE, THE EASTERN UNITED STATES, AND JAPAN. THEIR AVAILABILITY MAY HAVE BEEN THE DECISIVE FACTOR IN THESE DRUG DISCOVERIES. SIGNIFICANTLY, THEIR HABITAT RANGES ARE BROAD AND SUGGEST THAT OTHER SAPROPHYTIC AND PARASITIC FUNGI, WORLDWIDE, MAY HAVE DEVELOPED DISTINCTIVE ANTITUMOR AGENTS. MYCOSEARCH PROPOSES TO SCREEN REPRESENTATIVE ISOLATES OF OVER 100 SELECTED TROPICAL AND TEMPERATE FOREST TAXA. FERMENTATION BROTHS, MYCELIAL EXTRACTS, AND AGAR PLATE CULTURES WOULD BE SCREENED AGAINST AN ADRIAMYCIN-RESISTANT TUMOR CELL CULTURE IN VITRO, USING A RAPID ASSAY. PARALLEL ANTIFUNGAL SCREENS WOULD BE PERFORMED. ALL POSITIVE CULTURES WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO NCI FOR FURTHER SCREENING AGAINST HUMAN TUMOR LINES. RESULTS MAY SUGGEST WHETHER ADDITIONAL SCREENING OF NOVEL FUNGI IS WARRANTED. FUTURE PHASE II RESEARCH WOULD INVOLVE FURTHER PRIMARY SCREENING AND PURIFICATION OF THE ANTITUMOR AGENTS FROM FUNGI.