A compound of a Japanese mushroom appeared to kill human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical cancer cells, illuminating a potential treatment strategy against the disease that kills thousands of women every year, reports Medical Daily.

Dr. Judith A. Smith, a researcher at the University of Texas and lead author of the new study, said that the mushroom extract active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) also appears to slow down tumor growth.

Virtually all cervical cancers are caused by HPV. Vaccines like Gardasil and Ceravix have proven highly effective in preventing the infection, but they only protect against some strains. New treatment methods are therefore crucial to bringing down incidence and mortality rates.

The new study, which was presented at the Society of Gynecological Oncology’s annual meeting in Tampa, Fla. shows that AHCC appears to shut down the infection both in vitro and in vivo. First, Smith and colleagues tested the compound in cell cultures isolated from cervical cancer patients. They then treated an HPV mouse model with a supplement derived from the mushroom extract.

In both experiments, AHCC was shown to eradicate the virus within 90 days. This opens up a range of opportunities for oncologists and drug researchers, Smith said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 4,000 women die from cervical cancer each year.