3 뭗 eoxyadenosine ( cordycepin ) w a s o n e o f t h e f i r s t n a t u r a l l y o c c u r r i n g n u c l eosideantibioticsisolated . I t w a s o r i g i nallydescribedasananalogo 
 3 ' deoxyadenosine ( cordycepin ) was one of the first naturally occurring nucleoside antibiotics isolated . It was originally described as an analog of adenosine in which the ribose moiety was replaced by a branched carbon - chain 3 ? / span > deoxypentose . 
 In relation to human health , much current concern has been focused on naturally occurring bifidus factors and growth inhibitors against harmful bacteria such as Clostridium and E . coli because natural resources such as plants , animals , and microorganisms constitute a rich source of bioactive chemicals and many of them are largely free from harmful adverse effects . 
 Clostridia have harmful effects on human health such as sudden death , toxicith , mutagenesis , carcinogensis , or aging . They act by biotransforming a variety of ingested or endogenously formed compounds to harmful products like N - nitroso compounds or aromatic steroids within the gastrointestin . Among clostridia , C . perfringens not only produces a variety of toxic enzymes such as phospholiphase and collagenase disintegrating plasma membrane of host and toxins which increase permeability of blood vessel of intestin which result in enteritis and colitis , but also stimulates aging of human . 
 Cordycepin revealed potent growth - inhibiting activity toward Clostridium perfringens without adverse effects on the growth of Bifidobacterium bifidum , B . breve , B . longum , B . adolescentis , Lactobacillus casei , whereas tetracycline and chloramphenicol inhibited the growth of these lactic acid - producing bacteria , clostridia and E . coli . However , C . militaris - derived material revealed no growth stimulation on the bifidobacteria and lactobacilli . These results may be an indication of at least one of the pharmacological action of C . militaris . 
 The studies for cordycepin have been already published beyond count , ( www . ncbi . nlm . nih . gov ) , in present , OXiGENE , in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and Boston Medical Center ( BMC ) , an affiliate of Boston University has been studying it . ( www . oxigene . com ) . 
 Cordycepin is also being sold at a high price by Sigma - aldrich . ( www . sigma - aldrich . com ) 
 Cordycepin : An Anti - Leukemic Drug 
 In May , 1997 , OXiGENE , in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and Boston Medical Center ( BMC ) , an affiliate of Boston University , started a Phase I / II study of Cordycepin in patients with acute lymphoid leukemia . 
 OXiGENE signed an agreement with BMC that grants the Company an option to acquire an exclusive worldwide royalty - bearing license for Cordycepin . 
 Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a disease that continues to Have devastating outcomes in children and adults . Although remarkable advances have been made in treating the childhood form of this acute leukemia in the past three decades , with cure rates now at 75 percent , there is little prospect for curing the remaining 25 percent even with the best intensive current treatment regimens , the overall survival rate at three years is 50 percent . In the lymphoblastic variant of chronic myelogenous leukemia , the possibility of cure is nonexistent unless the patient is among the minority in whom a bone marrow transplant is useful . Clearly , new forms of therapy for this form of acute leukemia are urgently needed . 
 Cordycepin functions as a nucleoside analog having the ability to confuse the DNA synthetic enzyme , terminal deosynucleotidyl transferase ( TdT ) , into thinking it is a normal precursor of DNA . Hense , when Cordycepin is introduced to cells undergoing DNA replication , it produces a defective DNA that then induces cancer cells to undergo apoptosis ( programmed cell death ) . The TdT enzyme is found in particular types of childhood and adult leukemia and lymphoma . It is these TdT - positive leukemia and lymphoma cells that are responsive to Cordycepin . Newer analogs in preclinical evaluation are believed to kill all leukemia and lymphoma cells , whether TdT - positive or TdT - nagative . 
 TdT is also found in certain pathogenic parasites and fungi . In preclinical studies , Cordycepin was shown to kill such disease organisms , in particular pathogenic fungi . Most important , OXiGENE has confirmed this antifungal property of Cordycepin in a murine ( mouse ) model of invasive candidiasis , a disease ( candida ) caused by yeast or fungi . Certain stains of candida are resistant to the commonly used antibiotic fluconazole . Cordycepin has broad applicability for both cancer and infectious disease markets . Hence , it is thought that this family of drugs will combat a variety of diseases and realize a considerable market return . 
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