A recent study in the journal Investigational New Drugs indicates that the drug ecstasy may be an important tool in combating cancers of the blood.
It’s been known for some time that MDMA, better known as ecstasy or “E,” kills certain cancer cells. But originally the doses needed to be useful against those illnesses—specifically leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma —were fatal to humans. Researchers in the UK and Australian have modified ecstasy, though, to increase its cancer-fighting ability to the point where a single 1g pill can do the job of 100 unaltered pills without posing a serious health risk.
Currently it’s only been proven in test tubes—animal testing and clinical human trials still need to be done before the modified drug brought to market, perhaps in as far off as ten years.
Dr David Grant, scientific director of the charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, says that many types of lymphoma are hard to treat and the drugs that are available are toxic and present numerous side-effects. “Further work is required, he says, “but this research is a significant step forward in developing a potential new cancer drug.”
Yeah, but are patients still at risk for grinding their teeth, rubbing strangers backs and telling everyone they love them?
Images via DEA, Rodrigo Favera
christopher di spirito
Knowing the U.S., the Feds and the FDA will toss Ecstasy out than admit and prescribe it to victims of cancer.
Skeloric
Guaranteed, they’ll never approve it.
There are all sorts of medications in Europe that will never be allowed into the US for one simple reason — they actually WORK.
How many millions of dollars would American pharmaceutical firms lose if illnesses were actually treated rather than alleviating the symptoms?
Imagine NOT having to buy cold remedies to use for weeks on end because the first tablet wiped out the cold along with the symptoms — nothing in the US is actually ALLOWED to treat the illness, its only allowed to treat the symptoms.
doublestandard
I use to be a doubter but sadly I now agree
Kev C
Yeah ecstasy seems pretty cool. I should do some research on this. We all should.
MattGMD
MDMA is being explored in the treatment of PTSD reportedly with good deal of success. Origially created for psychotherapy treatment and is used to treat psychotic ideations, hostitlity, phobic anxiety and recently PTSD. Just FYI remember to take supplements of 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) to restore the natural production of amino acids and seratonin depleted by MDMA. Better living through chemistry.
Chad
Too much MDMA is NOT good for you.
I know a guy who was heavily into MDMA or whatever was in his “ecstasy” pills or gelcaps that supposedly contained MDMA, and he has major memory issues and that’s not the least of it.
Then again he did use it every weekend for months and he took it way too often like basically whenever he could find it.
Emma
@Skeloric:
I ask this more out of curiousity than anything, but what specific medications does Europe have that we don’t? Say, the cold or the flu? I’d like to do some personal research.
Skeloric
@Emma: All of this is originally secondhand info…
I know that Russia has a tablet they give out that is some sort of “pan-immunity” with the sole drawback that a very minor percentage of the population goes into a total allergic shock and dies right after taking it, which is pretty EXTREME.
There was also talk at one point — since he had been to Europe at different times — of certain medications where a single tablet just stops the illness right there within a couple of hours, with an added general lament that he could not find any sort of equivalent in the US.
As to MY actually knowing names to these — if I ever had heard them, I have forgotten them.
Tomcat
Same thing goes for LSD. Currently it is the only drug that has been proven to cure migraines once they have already onset (as well prevent their future onset). But, due to it’s illicit background, and the huge amount of money spent by the public dealing with migraines, they refuse to continue the studies, even to find a non-active version.