- Verticillin A, a fungal compound discovered over 50 years ago, has been synthesized in the lab for the first time.
- MIT and Harvard researchers developed a 16-step synthesis that creates the compound’s precise 3D dimer structure.
- Lab tests show the synthetic verticillin A and variants act against diffuse midline glioma (DMG) cells and hit intended protein targets.
- Synthetic access enables detailed studies and the design of variants for potential cancer drug development.
H2: Breakthrough — a long-elusive compound made in the lab
Scientists at MIT and Harvard Medical School have announced the first artificial synthesis of verticillin A, a complex fungal molecule long thought to have anti-cancer properties. Found in microscopic fungi in tiny amounts, verticillin A was difficult to extract and unstable, keeping it out of reach for systematic study. The new lab method finally produces the compound on demand, removing a major bottleneck for follow-up research into its therapeutic potential against cancer.
H3: How the team solved a 55-year chemistry puzzle
Verticillin A is a dimer — two identical halves fused together — and its activity depends on an exact three-dimensional arrangement. The research team, led by MIT chemist Mohammad Movassaghi with collaborators at Harvard, reworked previous synthetic strategies used for related molecules. They changed the order of bond-forming steps and protected fragile chemical groups, using a 16-step sequence that assembles the two halves and then “unmasks” functional groups to lock the final stereochemistry.
“Timing of the events is absolutely critical,” Movassaghi said, noting subtle structural differences dramatically increase synthetic difficulty. The carefully timed approach solved both the structural precision and instability problems that blocked earlier attempts.
H4: Early cancer tests show promise
With verticillin A available from the lab, the researchers tested the synthetic compound and several designed variants on lab-grown diffuse midline glioma (DMG) cells — an aggressive childhood brain cancer. The molecules related to verticillin A had previously shown promise in killing DMG cells, and the new synthetic samples reproduced those effects in cell culture. Additional biochemical analyses found the compound interacted with the expected protein targets inside cells, confirming a likely mechanism of action.
H5: Why this matters for cancer research
Natural products have historically been rich sources for drug discovery. Producing verticillin A synthetically means chemists and biologists can now make larger quantities, examine how the compound works at the molecular level, and create variants to improve safety, stability, or potency. The ability to design and test analogues speeds the path from laboratory discovery toward potential therapies.
H4: Next steps and publication
The researchers plan integrated studies that combine synthetic chemistry, chemical biology, cancer biology, and clinical insight to fully evaluate verticillin A’s therapeutic potential. Their work appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. While lab tests are encouraging, further preclinical studies and safety evaluations will be needed before any human trials.
The synthesis of verticillin A is a key step that turns a half-century-old natural discovery into a tractable platform for modern cancer research.
Image Referance: https://www.sciencealert.com/potential-anti-cancer-fungal-compound-finally-synthesized-after-55-years
