Breakthrough cancer discovery: Natural compound prevents severe chemotherapy nerve damage

A compound found in so-called magic mushrooms may help protect cancer patients from one of chemotherapy’s most debilitating side effects, according to a clinical study published by Science.

Platinum-based chemotherapy drugs cause peripheral neuropathy in about 60% of patients, the article says. The condition can bring tingling in the hands and feet, intense burning and lasting nerve damage.

Experimental work found that two doses of psilocybin given before an eight-month chemotherapy process preserved the movement of mitochondria inside sensory nerve cells. The researchers said this prevented the cells from becoming deprived of energy and eventually deteriorating. The compound reportedly protected sensory nerve fibres without weakening chemotherapy’s ability to shrink tumours or fight cancer.

Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center also tested tabernanolog, a compound that activates the same receptors without causing hallucinations. The article said it produced a similarly high level of nerve protection. To examine the effect on human tissue, researchers studied nerve samples taken from 29 patients undergoing surgery. In tissue treated with psilocybin, the cellular slowdown caused by chemotherapy did not occur, and organelle movement continued normally.

The reported results have led to plans for first-phase human clinical trials to assess the safety and effectiveness of psilocybin before chemotherapy. The article also presents the approach as potentially offering a second benefit, because it could address depression and anxiety often experienced by cancer patients, although the trials will determine its clinical value.