Although the latest research on psilocybin was conducted in mice, clinical trials on humans are scheduled to begin this month.
That's a big deal — because the preliminary study found that the hallucinogenic compound known as "magic mushrooms' may prevent nerve damage caused by chemotherapy.
A story by Andrew Jacobs in yesterday's editions of The New York Times says "a study published…in the journal Science makes a compelling case that administering psilocybin shortly before cancer treatments might prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, a condition that affects about two-thirds of patients who receive chemo."
If the trials are successful, the story claims, "the treatment could revolutionize cancer therapy and improve the quality of life for millions."
Peripheral neuropathy, for which there are currently no effective treatments, "causes pain, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, and can force patients to scale back or halt chemotherapy when the discomfort becomes too much to bear," he article explains.
For some patients, the pain and discomfort never goes away.
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| Patrick Dougherty |
Psilocybin, which remains illegal at the federal level, has already shown increasing promise for treating depression, anxiety, end-of-life distress and other mental health challenges," the Times article proclaims.
