Some scientists at the University of Birmingham in central England said the form of the drug that has been modified encourages its ability to destroy cancer cells up to 100 times more powerful.
Six years ago, some researchers found a cancer that attacks the white blood cells seem to react to certain drugs "psychotropic".
It covers all the body weight-lowering drugs, anti-depressant Prozac type, and amphetamine derivatives such as MDMA - the community commonly known as ecstasy.
Scientists at Birmingham said their findings since it can lead to derivative MDMA is now used in experiments on patients.
Derivatives can be effective in treating blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.
"This is an attractive advanced stage towards the utilization of a modified form of MDMA to help people suffering from blood cancer," said Professor John Gordon, from the School of Immunology and Infection at the University of Birmingham, as quoted by the AFP - AFP monitored in Jakarta , Friday morning.
"Although we do not intend to give people false hope, the results of this research has the potential to increase treatment in the next few years," he said.
The team found that MDMA doses needed to treat tumors will prove deadly, so they plan to isolate the content of the drug on cancer killer.
They are now researching how to make MDMA molecule able to penetrate the walls of cancer cells with ease.
Doctor David Grant, Director of Science at the charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research - which partly funded the study, said, "Prospects for blood cancer can target with a drug that is made of ecstasy is a very exciting statement."
"Many types of lymphoma remains difficult to treat and non-toxic drugs are effective and very necessary to have an impact," he added.
The findings are published in the bi-monthly journal Investigational New Drugs. (C003/A011/K004)
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