Psilocybin prevents chemotherapy neuropathy in mice, study finds
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Two doses of psilocybin before chemotherapy completely prevented neuropathy in mice, according to a study published today in Science. The compound preserved nerve sensation without reducing chemotherapy's tumor-shrinking effect. Neuropathy affects up to 60% of patients receiving platinum-based cancer drugs.
Key Facts
- Two doses of psilocybin before chemotherapy completely prevented neuropathy in mice.
- Neuropathy affects as many as 60% of people treated with platinum-based cancer drugs.
- Psilocybin pre-treatment preserved normal paw sensation and nerve endings without diminishing chemotherapy's ability to shrink tumours.
- The study was published today in Science.
Study Design
Researchers gave mice two doses of psilocybin before each of six rounds of chemotherapy over eight months. Untreated animals developed pain hypersensitivity, dulled paw sensation, and withered sensory-nerve fibres in the skin. Psilocybin pre-treatment preserved normal paw sensation and nerve endings. The chemotherapy's ability to shrink tumours was not diminished by psilocybin.
Mechanism and Expert Reaction
Psilocybin stops nerve decay by activating specific receptors on sensory nerve fibres across the animals' skin. Study co-author Moran Amit, a surgical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, said the study pushes beyond canonical indications of psychedelics. Joe Cichon, a neuroanaesthesiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, called the preventive strategy a 'clever treatment approach'.
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