A RARE wild mushroom that grows in the remote mountains of Tibet could be used as a new treatment for asthma. The parasitic fungus is found on hibernating caterpillars and contains the extract cordycepin that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. The compound has already been identified as a promising cancer drug and scientists now believe it could also be used for asthma as well as rheumatoid arthritis, kidney failure and stroke.
