Hallucinogen planned for cancer treatment
A recent study has shown that the compound psilocybin may help protect nerves from damage caused by chemotherapy in cancer patients, without impairing the treatment’s effectiveness against tumors. The substance was tested on mice, where its administration was stopped before chemotherapy to prevent symptoms of neuropathy—including pain, numbness, and sensory weakness—while maintaining the therapy’s therapeutic benefits. Psilocybin works by interacting with serotonin receptors in the peripheral nervous system and also protects the mitochondria within nerve cells, which play a critical role in energy production. Although these findings are currently preclinical, they lay the groundwork for future clinical trials involving cancer patients, with the aim of reducing the side effects of chemotherapy.
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