Modified ecstasy 'attacks blood cancers' (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By James Gallagher
Health reporter, BBC News

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




The usual caveats ... works in test tubes ... needs confirmation ... self medication can be deadly ...

[LeftishBrit]

1. I hope this leads to effective treatments!

[bemildred]

2. I feel so confused ...

:rofl:

It's amazing how many "recreational drugs" also make "effective medicine" in the right context.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Actually not too surprising, given that many of the harder 'recreational' drugs actually are

powerful medicines, and started mainly that way - e.g. heroin, cocaine, morphine.

But it's true that marijuana's illegal status has hindered its study and use as medicine.

[bemildred]

4. Yes.

Most effective drugs are also strong poisons, dosage is everything.