From Pharaoh’s curse to cancer cure: Deadly Tutankhamun’s tomb fungus may turn out to be a blessing in disguise

A deadly fungus once feared for causing mysterious deaths in ancient tombs may now offer hope in the fight against cancer. Aspergillus flavus, the toxic mould linked to the so-called "curse" of Tutankhamun’s tomb, has surprised scientists by producing powerful cancer-fighting compounds.

The fungus, known to trigger severe respiratory issues in people with weakened immune systems, was discovered in the sealed tombs of Egyptian pharaohs and the 15th-century Polish King Casimir IV. After the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1923, the sudden deaths of several people involved—including Lord Carnarvon and financier George Jay Gould—fueled rumours of a pharaoh’s curse. Later investigations suggested the culprit may have been dormant spores of A. flavus, reactivated after centuries.

Now, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that this same fungus produces a new class of cancer-killing molecules called asperigimycins. These compounds, a rare type of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), were found to be highly effective against leukaemia cells.


Without any modification, some asperigimycins already showed strong anti-cancer activity. In further experiments, researchers enhanced their potency by adding a molecule found in royal jelly, boosting their effects to match those of well-established chemotherapy drugs like cytarabine and daunorubicin.

The scientists believe the asperigimycins work by halting cell division—specifically, by interfering with microtubules that are essential for cancer cells to multiply. Importantly, the study also uncovered the key role of a gene, SLC46A3, which helps usher the compound into cancer cells.

The breakthrough offers not only a potential new treatment for blood cancers but also a roadmap to discovering more fungal RiPPs. Despite their scarcity in fungi compared to bacteria, these compounds show remarkable promise. As lead researcher Qiuyue Nie puts it: “This is an unexplored region with tremendous potential.”

The findings were published in Nature Chemical Biology.