Early research suggests psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in "magic mushrooms," may protect against chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in mice. The study, published in *Science*, found that two doses of psilocybin given before chemotherapy prevented nerve damage, reducing pain, numbness, and sensitivity to cold and touch. Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center initially investigated compounds promoting neuroplasticity to improve cancer treatments and unexpectedly discovered psilocybin’s protective effect on peripheral nerves.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) affects roughly one-third to one-half of people receiving certain chemotherapies, according to Dr. Thomas Strouse, a professor of clinical psychiatry and a neuropathy researcher at UCLA who was not involved in the study. In severe cases, CIPN can force doctors to reduce or stop chemotherapy, and can contribute to mobility problems, increasing the risk of falls and fractures. "It's a big deal, big problem," Strouse said. "Researchers have been searching for a way to prevent it for a long time."
Study co-author Dr. Moran Amit, a cancer surgeon and researcher at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, explained that the team was investigating compounds that promote neuroplasticity—the nervous system’s ability to change and adapt—when they found psilocybin to be the most effective in relieving neuropathy symptoms. The researchers discovered that psilocybin helped neurons maintain their internal power supplies. In experiments, two doses of psilocybin, administered nine and two days before the first chemotherapy session, completely prevented the mice from developing hypersensitivity and reduced cold sensitivity, while also preserving nerve endings.
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