For six years, the scientists from the University of Birmingham have been studying the influence of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (also known as the narcotic drug “ecstasy“) on cancer cells.
The doctors have found that by their chemical composition some cancer cells are very similar to the substances contained in anti-depressants, medicine for weight loss and the “ecstasy” drug (MDMA). In their opinion, medication based on MDMA can destroy cancer cells.
The experts made this discovery back in 2006. But only a very high concentration of the substance – dangerous for human beings – proved to be effective. All these years, the scientists together with their colleagues from the University of Western Australia have been trying to create methylenedioxymethamphetamine notable for its efficiency and safety.
The new formula proved to be a hundred times more toxic to cancer as compared to the previous one, which allowed to reduce the dosage of the drug. “Ecstasy” with the new formula is attached to the fatty membrane of cancer cells, dissolving them and causing their death. The experiment showed that the formula guaranteed 100% death of cancer cells in the case of leukemia and lymphoma.
Source of the image: Photl.
