Ecstasy and anti-depressants could halt cancer growth

Scientists have discovered possible cancer-busting properties in ecstasy and anti-depressant drugs.

Research at the University of Birmingham, backed by the Leukaemia Research Fund, discovered that over half of lymphoma (cancers of white blood cells) samples studied responded in test tubes to the growth-halting properties of psychotropic drugs. These included ecstasy and weight-loss pills, which are amphetamine derivatives and antidepressants such as Prozac.

The scientists say that these findings, published in the FASEB Journal, offer potentially “important leads” to finding possible new cancer treatments.

During the research 17 samples, including cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and multiple myeloma, were treated. The scientists found that when exposed to antidepressants, nine of the 17 samples’ growth rate was slowed down, while eleven of the samples reacted similarly to one or both of the amphetamine derivatives.

Professor John Gordon, from the University of Birmingham’s Medical School, said: “We think that a range of psychotropic agents that are being used, or sometimes abused, for other reasons will now help us in our fight against all different types of cancer.”

Professor Gordon added: “We are excited that drugs like Prozac are effective in killing these types of cancer cells, as these antidepressants are in such wide circulation and have an impressive safety record.”

However, the application of ecstasy is not so straightforward. Co-lead scientist Dr Nick Barnes explained: “We must stress very strongly that we couldn’t use ecstasy itself as a therapeutic compound, as the dose required to treat the tumour would kill the patient. But perhaps by breaking down the actions of this designer drug, we can extract its cancer killing properties from more general toxic effects associated with its use.”

The Leukaemia Research Fund has welcomed the findings. The fund’s scientific director, Dr David Grant, said: “Around 10,000 people are diagnosed with a lymphoma in the UK each year and so the possibility that some of these patients can be treated with antidepressants that have cancer-killing properties is truly remarkable.”

The scientists at the University of Birmingham have been working in this area for five years. This latest study builds on previous findings that discovered that Prozac is effective in killing cells specifically from Burkitt’s lymphoma, a common cause of children’s cancer in Africa.

(KMcA/SP)