Cyclosporin fungus

Statema, B. C. P.

Fungus

Cyclosporin fungus

Tolypocladium inflatum

Known today as: A soil fungus.
Kind: Fungus
Constituents: ciclosporin
In other databases: GBIF search · Wikidata search

Revised October 3, 2026: Checked against its sources, each read in full, in part, or in its abstract. Version 1, first published September 25, 2026.

Cyclosporin fungus: what was it used for?

None, until ciclosporin was found in it.

Cyclosporin fungus: what does modern science say?

Its cyclosporin quiets the immune system, and in medical use since 1983 it greatly widened organ transplantation.

Pharmacognosy & Toxicology

Constituents

ciclosporin ChEMBLcyclosporin A

Mechanism

Ciclosporin binds cyclophilin and so blocks calcineurin, the signal by which T cells are activated; in use since 1983, it greatly widened organ transplantation.

Checked against ChEMBL

ciclosporin: ChEMBL’s curated mechanism: modulator Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A.

Toxic dose

Harms the kidneys and raises blood pressure; blood levels should be checked. St John’s wort rich in hyperforin can halve them.

Standing

On the WHO list of essential medicines; isolated in 1971 from a soil fungus gathered in Norway, its immunosuppressive effect found at Sandoz in 1972.

Borel, J. F., et al. (1976). “Biological effects of cyclosporin A: a new antilymphocytic agent.” Agents and Actions 6. Abstract read · the text read

The abstract of each source, beneath its citation. For Club members. About the Club or sign in.

Constituent names open the compound’s record at PubChem, and “ChEMBL” beside a name opens its record at ChEMBL, the European Bioinformatics Institute’s database of bioactive molecules. Where a mechanism line was checked against ChEMBL (ChEMBL 37, read 1 October 2026), the check is shown with the measured value and its source paper, or says plainly that nothing has been measured. Doses are as the references give them, for description only; this is not medical advice. Each source carries the result of its check against Crossref, PubMed, or the authority’s page: see Verification.

Cyclosporin fungus: what lore surrounds it?

Found in a soil sample from Norway that was brought to Switzerland in 1969; Sandoz staff had gathered such samples.

Sources

Wikipedia, “Ciclosporin,” en.wikipedia.org (read 2 October 2026). Read in full · the text read
Wikipedia, “Tolypocladium inflatum,” en.wikipedia.org (read 2 October 2026). Read in full · the text read
Mai, I., et al. (2004). Hyperforin content determines the magnitude of the St John’s wort–cyclosporine drug interaction. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 76: 330–340. Abstract read · the text read

Verification

Checked

October 1, 2026, and October 3, 2026

Passes

Every sentence read against its sources, in the pass over the remaining 343 entries
The Standing line checked against the authority it names (EMA, WHO, FDA, CITES, Commission E)
Every dated or regulatory claim checked by category across the database
The mechanism read against ChEMBL (ChEMBL 37): curated mechanisms and measured activity
Every source read, in full, in part, or in its abstract, and every sentence checked against what was read (October 3, 2026)

Sources

4 cited: 2 read in full, 2 abstract read. 2 with the abstract on file.

Corrections

None were needed.

What was checked, how, and what was found is set out on the Verification page. A checked source is one whose record was found; it does not make the entry medical advice.

Cite This Entry

Version 1 · first published September 25, 2026 · last revised October 3, 2026

Chicago: “Cyclosporin fungus.” In Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema. Version 1. The Thinking Press, 2026–. Last modified October 3, 2026. https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/cyclosporin-fungus.
MLA: “Cyclosporin fungus.” Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema, version 1, The Thinking Press, 3 Oct. 2026, thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/cyclosporin-fungus. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.
APA: Cyclosporin fungus. (2026, October 3). In B. C. P. Statema (Ed.), Materia medica (Version 1). The Thinking Press. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/cyclosporin-fungus

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