Psilocybin prevented chemo nerve pain in rats, study says

Psilocybin prevented the development of chemotherapy-related nerve pain in rats, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.

The research tested the hallucinogenic compound found in magic mushrooms in rats and certain human tissues as scientists studied whether it could counter peripheral neuropathy, a nerve condition linked to chemotherapy.

Patrick Dougherty, a study co-author and pain treatment specialist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, said peripheral neuropathy affects about three quarters of people who undergo chemotherapy. He said about a third of that group develop constant burning pain.

Dougherty said the condition can cause numbness, tingling, walking problems and other complications that may last after chemotherapy ends. He said severe side effects can also lead doctors to reduce or stop chemotherapy.

Researchers said two doses of psilocybin before chemotherapy were enough in rodents to prevent painful hypersensitivity during as many as six rounds of treatment. They said the treatment did not affect the animals' immune system or hinder the cancer-fighting action.

The team said later experiments pointed to psilocybin's role in protecting nerve cells and helping the transport of mitochondria inside them. They also said psilocybin appeared to help preserve brain electrical activity disrupted by chemotherapy.

Kristy Townsend, a neurobiology professor at The Ohio State University who was not involved in the study, called the finding “highly promising”. She said a non-hallucinogenic analogue had the same effect in a lab test, suggesting the nerve-protecting effect may not depend on psilocybin's hallucinogenic properties.

Townsend said testing will be needed before any treatment can become standard for people. MD Anderson Cancer Center plans to launch clinical tests with psilocybin on cancer patients later this year.

Researchers warned cancer patients not to use magic mushrooms on their own as treatment. Gregory Jones, a psychiatrist involved in the study, said psilocybin can have an “amplifier” effect and could worsen stress or anxiety if taken without supervision.