Psilocybin may protect against a common, debilitating side effect of chemotherapy, early study finds
Live Science · 2026-09-03
Early research suggests that psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in "magic mushrooms," may protect peripheral nerves from damage caused by chemotherapy. In a study involving mice, two doses of psilocybin administered before chemotherapy prevented nerve damage that typically causes pain, numbness, and heightened sensitivity to cold and touch, with protection lasting through as many as six rounds of treatment. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) affects roughly one-third to one-half of chemotherapy patients, and in severe cases, it can necessitate a reduction or cessation of cancer treatment. Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, who initially investigated neuroplasticity-promoting compounds for nerve protection, found psilocybin to be the most effective, noting it completely prevented hypersensitivity and preserved nerve endings in mice treated with cisplatin. The protection may be linked to psilocybin's influence on mitochondrial trafficking, the process by which mitochondria deliver energy along nerve cells.