Modified ecstasy 'attacks blood cancers'

ChrisFromScotland · Oct 6, 2011

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14572284

http://santacruz.patch.com/articles/could-ecstasy-cure-cancer-2

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/la...holdspromiseaspotentbloodcancertreatment.aspx

Modified ecstasy could one day have a role to play in fighting some blood cancers, according to scientists.

Ecstasy is known to kill some cancer cells, but scientists have increased its effectiveness 100-fold, they said in Investigational New Drugs journal.

Their early study showed all leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma cells could be killed in a test tube, but any treatment would be a decade away.

A charity said the findings were a "significant step forward".

In 2006, a research team at the University of Birmingham showed that ecstasy and anti-depressants such as Prozac had the potential to stop cancers growing.

The problem was that it needed doses so high they would have been fatal if given to people.

The researchers, in collaboration with the University of Western Australia, have chemically re-engineered ecstasy by taking some atoms away and putting new ones in their place.

One variant increased cancer-fighting effectiveness 100-fold. It means that if 100g of un-modified ecstasy was needed to get the desired effect, only 1g of the modified ecstasy would be needed to have the same effect.

Scientists say this also reduced the toxic effect on the brain.

Lead researcher Professor John Gordon, from the University of Birmingham, told the BBC: "Against the cancers, particularly the leukaemia, the lymphoma and the myeloma, where we've tested these new compounds we can wipe out 100% of the cancer cells in some cases.
A molecule of ecstasy Tweaking the structure of ecstasy has made it more effective in attacking some cancers.

"We would really need to pinpoint which are the most sensitive cases, but it has the potential to wipe out all the cancer cells in those examples.

"This is in the test tube, it could be different in the patient, but for now it's quite exciting."
Click to expand...

Mr.Writer · Oct 6, 2011

That is incredible! Reminds me of the modified LSD that is used to cure cluster headaches. Now psychedelics have cancers in their crosshairs . . . wonderful!

guerillabedlam · Oct 8, 2011

Sounds like this analogue is still in it's early stages but very interesting read.

i_need_a_miracle · Oct 8, 2011

Well, now. This is pretty interesting.

matt2993 · Oct 9, 2011

makes me feel like i my body some good last night

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Modified ecstasy 'attacks blood cancers'

ChrisFromScotland Lang may yer lum reek

Mr.Writer Senior Member

guerillabedlam _|=|-|=|_

i_need_a_miracle Venusian Goddess

matt2993 Member

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Modified ecstasy 'attacks blood cancers'

ChrisFromScotland Lang may yer lum reek

Mr.Writer Senior Member

guerillabedlam _|=|-|=|_

i_need_a_miracle Venusian Goddess

matt2993 Member

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