Mental disorders represent a major global health problem, with depression being one of the most prevalent and disabling conditions worldwide. Growing evidence suggests that the serotonergic system, particularly the 5-HT2A receptor, plays an important role in modulating mood and cognitive processes, constituting a key pharmacological target for several psycho...
This brief review highlights some of the structure-activity relationships of classic serotonergic psychedelics. In particular, we discuss structural features of three chemotypes: phenethylamines, ergolines and certain tryptamines, which possess psychedelic activity in humans. Where they are known, we point out the underlying molecular mechanisms utilized by ...
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited intellectual disability and a leading monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As a synaptic disorder, FXS involves the loss of Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMRP), leading to abnormal dendrite development and immature dendritic spines. Serotonergic signaling, essential for neuronal d...
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition in which prenatal stress and long-lasting disruptions of excitatory-inhibitory (E/I) balance have been implicated as key vulnerability factors. Although established pharmacological and behavioral treatments are effective for many individuals, they are not universally ...
ABSTRACT Psilocybin, one of the primary active compounds in magic mushrooms, is metabolized into psilocin in the human body. In this study, we employed surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), leveraging its unique molecular fingerprinting capabilities and high sensitivity, in combination with silver-coated gold nanoparticles (Au@AgNPs) as the enhancement...
Abstract Rationale The elderly population is rapidly growing. Overwhelming epidemiologic data has demonstrated worse health outcomes with increasing age for a multitude of lung diseases (COVID being one of numerous examples). There is an increasingly urgent need for a more complete understanding of the molecular pathways and biological processes underlying a...
Psychedelic drugs are increasingly under investigation as potential therapeutic agents for mental health conditions and are being increasingly used recreationally. Psychedelic use may result in an episode of intense psychological distress, commonly referred to as a "bad trip." Bad trips represent a potentially volatile, erratic, and dangerous situation, whic...
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent social-communication deficits, cognitive rigidity, and atypical sensory processing. Current pharmacological treatments, including risperidone and aripiprazole, provide only limited symptomatic relief and do not address the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Converging evidence implicates dysre...
Psilocybin is studied as innovative medication in anxiety, substance abuse and treatment-resistant depression. Animal studies show that psychedelics promote neuronal plasticity by strengthening synaptic responses and protein synthesis. However, the exact molecular and cellular changes induced by psilocybin in the human brain are not known. Here, we treated h...
Disorders of consciousness pose major therapeutic challenges owing to the complexity of underlying brain dysfunctions. Current pharmacological interventions explored in disorders of consciousness target distinct molecular systems, including dopaminergic modulators (amantadine, levodopa, apomorphine, bromocriptine, selegiline, methylphenidate, and modafinil),...
Serotonergic psychedelics have attracted considerable interest as promising therapeutic agents. However, the molecular mechanisms linking their acute hallucinogenic-like effects to longer-lasting neuroplastic responses remain incompletely understood, partly because of the scarcity of native neural models suitable for mechanistic studies. Here, we developed a...
PRE-EMPT will assemble a study group of 150 civilian and Veteran participants from three populations (low risk, intermediate risk, and high risk for self-harm). The investigators will obtain clinical assessments, MRI, and blood levels for circular RNA (circRNA). The teams will then administer three interventions (neurofeedback, transcranial magnetic stimulat...
ABSTRACT Accidental ingestion of psilocybin-containing mushrooms can cause poisoning and hallucinations, making their rapid detection a public health priority. Conventional methods such as HPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS, TLC, CE, and ELISA provide sensitivity but are often destructive, time-consuming, or impractical for real-time applications. This study introduces a Ra...
The psychedelic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis is cultivated worldwide for recreational and medicinal use. Described initially from Cuba in 1906, there has been substantial debate about its origin and diversification. The prevailing view is that P. cubensis was inadvertently introduced to the Americas when cattle were introduced to the continent from Africa and...
Classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), have emerged as potent modulators of neuroplasticity and metaplasticity in the adult brain, offering novel therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders. Recent findings reveal that beyond their transient psychotropic effects, these compounds...
PcncAAAD is a noncanonical fungal aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AAAD) featuring a unique appendage C-terminal domain (CTD) and two metal-binding sites. Unlike its mammalian and plant counterparts, PcncAAAD is activated by calcium, although the exact activation mechanism remains unclear. Here, we establish an in silico RMSD-based evaluation model throu...
Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to modify synaptic connections and reorganize neural circuits, underpinning cognitive function, emotional regulation, and recovery from injury. Recent advances have redefined adult neuroplasticity as more dynamic and therapeutically accessible than previously thought, spurring investigation into pharmacologi...
Background: Psilocybin is a psychoactive compound found in hallucinogenic mushrooms and is rapidly dephosphorylated in vivo to psilocin, its pharmacologically active metabolite. Despite the growing clinical and scientific interest in these substances, information regarding their interaction with cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes remains scarce, raising concer...
