{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,17]],"date-time":"2026-03-17T15:28:43Z","timestamp":1773761323954,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2015,7,31]],"date-time":"2015-07-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1438300800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Cordyceps militaris (L.) Link, an edible entomopathogenic fungus widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, has numerous potential medicinal properties including antitumor activity. The methanolic extract of C. militaris fruiting body was recently shown to have tumor cell growth inhibitory activity in several human tumor cell lines. Nonetheless, the mechanism of action involved is still not known. This work aimed at further studying the effect of the methanolic extract of C. militaris regarding its antitumor mechanism of action, using the non-small cell lung cancer cell line (NCI-H460) as a model. Results showed that treatment with the extract decreased cellular proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest at G0\/G1 and increased apoptosis. In addition, the extract increased the levels of p53 and p21. Moreover, an increase in p-H2A.X and 53BP1 levels, together with an increase in the number of 53BP1 foci\/cell (all indicative of DNA damage), were also observed after treatment with the extract. This work suggests that this extract affected NCI-H460 cellular viability through a mechanism involving DNA damage and p53 activation. This further supports the potential of this extract as a source of bioactive compounds, which may be used in anticancer strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules200813927","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,7,31]],"date-time":"2015-07-31T10:12:24Z","timestamp":1438337544000},"page":"13927-13940","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":23,"title":["Cordyceps militaris (L.) Link Fruiting Body Reduces the Growth of a Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Line by Increasing Cellular Levels of p53 and p21"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Ana","family":"Bizarro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy,  University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto 4050-313, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Biology, School of Sciences, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar,  Braga 4710-057, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4910-4882","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabel","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mountain Research Center (CIMO), ESA, Polytechnic Institute of Bragan\u00e7a, Apartado 1172,  Bragan\u00e7a 5301-855, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7381-756X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marina","family":"Sokovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plant Physiology, Institute for Biological Research \"Sini\u0161a Stankovi\u0107\",  University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}]},{"given":"Leo","family":"Van Griensven","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Plant Research International, Wageningen University and Research Centre, 6700AA Wageningen, The Netherlands"}]},{"given":"Diana","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy,  University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto 4050-313, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Cancer Drug Resistance Group, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the  University of Porto, IPATIMUP, Rua J\u00falio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, Porto 4200-135, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7801-4643","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"M.","family":"Vasconcelos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy,  University of Porto, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto 4050-313, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Cancer Drug Resistance Group, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the  University of Porto, IPATIMUP, Rua J\u00falio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, Porto 4200-135, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Raquel","family":"Lima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Cancer Drug Resistance Group, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the  University of Porto, IPATIMUP, Rua J\u00falio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, Porto 4200-135, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Pathology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Porto,  Alameda Prof. Hern\u00e2ni Monteiro, Porto 4200-319, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,7,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"961","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fitote.2010.07.010","article-title":"Medicinal uses of the mushroom Cordyceps militaris: Current state and prospects","volume":"81","author":"Das","year":"2010","journal-title":"Fitoterapia"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.1080\/15572536.2006.11832846","article-title":"Molecular cloning, expression, and characterization of the Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene from the entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps militaris","volume":"97","author":"Park","year":"2005","journal-title":"Mycologia"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"294","DOI":"10.1016\/S2005-2901(09)60071-6","article-title":"Antitumor activity of water extracts from Cordyceps militaris in NCI-H460 cell xenografted nude mice","volume":"2","author":"Park","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. 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