Psilocybin May Shield Nerves From Chemo Damage

A psychedelic best known for inspiring visions might one day be used to spare cancer patients from a painful chemo side effect. A new mouse study in Science suggests that psilocybin, the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms," helped prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy—nerve damage that can cause burning, tingling, or numbness and sometimes forces doctors to dial back or even stop the cancer treatment, per Live Science.

Researchers at Texas' MD Anderson Cancer Center gave mice two doses of psilocybin before starting them on cisplatin, a chemo drug notorious for nerve injury. The mice didn't develop the usual heightened sensitivity to touch and cold, and their nerve endings stayed intact. Lab work points to how psilocybin appeared to keep mitochondria—the cell's energy suppliers—moving along nerve fibers, preserving energy where it's needed.

The effect relied on a serotonin receptor tied to psilocybin's psychedelic properties, though a non-hallucinogenic compound targeting the same receptor also showed protection in mice. Experts stress this is early-stage research; it's unknown if the approach works, or is safe, in humans. A clinical trial is being planned, but for now, psilocybin remains in the lab, not as a chemo companion.