U.S. study tests psilocybin to fight cancer side effects
Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that psilocybin may help prevent peripheral neuropathy, a painful side effect of chemotherapy. The study suggests the drug protects nerve cells and supports mitochondrial function, potentially improving patient outcomes.
Why it matters
This finding could lead to new medical interventions that allow cancer patients to complete their chemotherapy treatments without debilitating nerve damage.
Here's a novel idea for countering the painful side effects of chemotherapy: beforehand, take the hallucinogenic drug found in magic mushrooms.
The study published Thursday in the journal Science involved tests on rats and certain human tissues as researchers looked at using psilocybin to fight a condition called peripheral neuropathy, which affects millions of people around the world.
It is a nerve ailment that hits about three quarters of all people who undergo chemo and commonly causes numbness and tingling, Patrick Dougherty, a co-author of the study, said in a call with reporters.
But a third of that group will develop non-stop, burning pain, said Dougherty, a pain treatment specialist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The symptoms can lead to trouble walking and other debilitating complications that can last after a person finishes chemotherapy, and even remain with them for life.
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