Not only has research linking ecstasy use to Parkinson's disease been discredited, but now researchers are saying that the drug actually may have some utility in treating the disease, the Toledo Blade reported Oct. 23.

Jack Lipton, a researcher at the University of Cincinnati, said that ecstasy, or MDMA, increased the survival of neurons in the brains of fetal rats by 70-300 percent; the neurons were dopamine transmitters, which typically deteriorate in the brains of Parkinson's patients.

"We're really excited about this," said Lipton. "Who would have thought you could take a drug that's abused, and find therapeutic properties?"

Jonathan Brotchie, a senior scientist at Toronto Western Hospital, said Lipton "has shown for the first time that an MDMA-like molecule could actually stop the death of dopamine cells. This is very exciting."

Ecstasy can also damage other neurons, and long-term use can lead to anxiety and depression. But Lipton's research could lead scientists to more discoveries about the specific properties of the drug that may safely help Parkinson's patients.

The research was reported at the recent Society for Neuroscience annual meeting.