Hirsutella Sinensis: Increasing Life Expectancy in ALS with a Chinese Medicinal Fungus

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is one of the biggest enigmas of neurodegenerative diseases. Although science and technology have advanced a great deal, we have not yet found the definitive cure for this disease and most of its kind.

ALS is a chronic, incurable disorder, and its only treatment is palliative care. The main affectation is found at the level of the motor neurons – cells in charge of the transmission and execution of voluntary movements and motor activity – of the spinal cord, which begin to be destroyed.

In an attempt to discover a cure, multiple studies have been conducted on specific models of animals sharing the same disease. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics recently published one of the most interesting of these.

This study, called “Therapeutic effects of Hirsutella sinensis on the disease onset and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in SOD1G93A transgenic mouse model,” involved the use of Hirsutella sinensis, a typical fungus of traditional Chinese medicine to which multiple medicinal benefits have been linked.

This was based on one of the most accepted theories about the development of ALS: alterations of the microglia, which are hyperstimulated and cause a brain inflammation that is the fundamental trigger of the disease. This would not occur under normal conditions, since they act as a kind of white blood cell for our brain, protecting it and supporting it in whatever is needed.

Inflammation as a Trigger

Neuroinflammation has been the subject of study in recent decades, as it has been linked to the establishment and progression of relevant neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Likewise, ALS does not escape this classification.

Although it is closely linked to microglia, ALS appears to also have some degree of association with astrocytes. Between the two cell types, they trigger a massive release of pro-inflammatory agents that bind to the surface of the motor cells, where the real damage and even death of these motor neurons begins.

The drugs most related to anti-inflammatory properties are those that have been shown to act most effectively on this disease. For this reason, Hirsutella sinensis seems to be a great contender, given that it has a tremendous anti-inflammatory capacity, especially in the neurological system.

Additionally, it appears that this fungus also has certain antioxidant properties that are part of the therapeutic effect. In recent decades, much importance has been given to oxidative stress, a set of reactions mediated by molecules known as free radicals, which are a product of the human body’s metabolism and that damage organic tissues.

Under normal conditions, our body can overlap the effects of these molecules with endogenous antioxidants, such as glutathione. However, when we have an inadequate lifestyle, or an unhealthy diet, we begin to accumulate free radicals. Much of the damage in ALS has been attributed to oxidative stress.

It was for this reason that a group of researchers in China began testing the potential of this fungus, based on this theory. In order to prove these effects scientists had species of mice (which suffered from ALS, such as SOD1 mice), ingest the fungus’ extract.

Protocol and Results

During the study, 28 mice were used and given 1g/kg body weight in 10 ml/kg of water at least once a day. Similarly, a control group was used with 28 mice that only ingested water.

Several different scales were used, such as the rotarod test, as well as imaging studies to visualize all alterations related to ALS. Real-time PCR and immunofluorescence studies were also performed to check all parameters.

In summary, it was demonstrated that Hirsutella sinensis can improve three aspects of ALS:

• Life expectancy: The mice that consumed this fungus – in the mentioned doses – had a much longer average life than those in the control group (137.7 days vs. 126.8 days, respectively).
• Muscular Volume and Control: It was also demonstrated that Hirsutella sinensis can decrease the loss of motor neurons and, therefore, muscular volume. This is one of the most frequent symptoms of ALS.
• Activation and Change in the Microglia: This fungus can also act directly on the origin of the disease by changing the “state” of the microglia from an “active pro-inflammatory” state to a “stable anti-inflammatory” state.

This is a rather interesting and overwhelming discovery, which will certainly be followed for a couple of years. For now, we can say that this fungus is a good inhibitor of the progression and slows down the establishment of ALS, one of the most enigmatic diseases in the neurodegenerative field.

Reference:

Shang, H‐Y, Zhang, J‐J, Fu, Z‐F, et al. Therapeutic effects of hirsutella sinensis on the disease onset and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in SOD1G93A transgenic mouse model. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2019; 00: 1– 11. https://doi.org/10.1111/cns.13182