Chemotherapy can save lives, but for many cancer patients, it leaves behind a painful legacy: damaged nerves that burn, tingle or go numb. Now, researchers report that a psychedelic compound may protect those nerves — not through its mind-bending effects, but by helping neurons keep their internal power supplies moving.
A new mouse study, published Thursday (Sept. 3) in the journal
Strouse noted that mitochondrial damage in CIPN isn’t a new idea. “What’s novel is looking at psilocybin as a protectant,” he said.
He also cautioned that different chemotherapy drugs may cause neuropathy through distinct mechanisms, so the protection demonstrated against one chemotherapy drug may not translate broadly.
Most importantly, the researchers have not shown that psilocybin prevents neuropathy in humans yet.
“The main thing is that it was never tested for this indication specifically in a systematic way in humans,” Amit said. His team is now preparing a clinical trial at MD Anderson to test the approach. The research is part of MD Anderson’s Cancer Neuroscience Program, a multidisciplinary effort that studies interactions between cancer and the nervous system, with an emphasis on improving patients’ quality of life.
Human trials will need to establish both the effectiveness and safety of using psilocybin for this purpose, Strouse said, particularly before oncologists would consider giving a psychedelic drug alongside cancer treatment.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.
