The serotonergic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD and DMT hold great promise for the development of new treatments for psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder, addiction and end-of-life anxiety. Previous studies in both animals and humans have confirmed the effects of these drugs on neuronal activity and plasticity. However, the understanding of...
Psychedelic compounds, including psilocybin, psilocin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), and mescaline, have long been recognized for their recreational effects and involvement in forensic cases. They have recently gained attention also for their potential therapeutic applications in treating neurological and psy...
Cellular aging, driven by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation, is exacerbated by a high-glucose and high-lipid (HGHL) diet, leading to collagen degradation and skin aging. Psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound, has shown potential in reducing symptoms of aging. This study explores the protective effects of psilocybin on BJ-5ta ...
ABSTRACT Psilocybe is a genus of mushroom-forming fungi with ecological, ethnomycological, and clinical importance due to psilocybin production by most species. We present five genomes that enable deeper discovery and analysis of the psilocybin gene cluster and increase taxonomic resolution within Psilocybe: Psilocybe semilanceata, Psilocybe gandalfiana nom....
BACKGROUND: Although Basidiomycota produce pharmaceutically and ecologically relevant natural products, knowledge of how they coordinate their primary and secondary metabolism is virtually non-existent. Upon transition from vegetative mycelium to carpophore formation, mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe use L-tryptophan to supply the biosynthesis of the psyched...
Serotonin emerges as a pivotal factor influencing the growth and functionality of β-cells. Psilocybin, a natural compound derived from mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus, exerts agonistic effects on the serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B receptors, thereby mimicking serotonin’s behavior. This study investigates the potential impacts of psilocybin on β-cell viability,...
Psilocybin, an innate compound produced by mushrooms belonging to the Psilocybe genus, is primarily known for its agonistic effects on the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. This receptor’s functioning is involved in many neurological processes. In the context of this research, our primary aim was to comprehensively investigate the influence of psilocybin as a serot...
Introduction to the Special Section on Psychedelics Research and Treatment Dominic Sisti Against a backdrop of post-pandemic malaise, diseases of despair, and a fragmented mental health care system, psychedelics have enjoyed a resurgence of interest as powerful psychotherapeutic agents and as catalysts of personal growth. The true power of these substances-s...
There is a renewed interest in psychedelic drugs as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In particular, psilocybin has shown promise for the treatment of refractory depression 1 and major depressive disorder 2, and has also been explored as a treatment for tobacco and alcohol abuse 3, 4. However, despite suggestive evidenc...
Psilocybe mushrooms, otherwise known as “magic” mushrooms, owe their psychedelic effect to psilocin, a serotonin subtype 2A (5-HT2A ) receptor agonist and metabolite of psilocybin, the primary indole alkaloid found in Psilocybe species. Metabolomics is an advanced fingerprinting tool that can be utilized to identify the differences among fungal life stages t...
ABSTRACT Intracellular calcium (Ca 2+ ) is ubiquitous to cell signaling across all biology. While existing fluorescent sensors and reporters can detect activated cells with elevated Ca 2+ levels, these approaches require implants to deliver light to deep tissue, precluding their noninvasive use in freely-behaving animals. Here we engineered an enzyme-catalyz...
Introduction Classic psychedelics have been shown to exert therapeutic potential for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders, neuropsychiatric diseases, and neuronal damage. Besides their psychopharmacological activity, psychedelics have been reported to modulate immune functions. There has thus far been a sparse exploration of the direct immune-modul...
Recent clinical trials of psychedelic drugs aim to treat a range of psychiatric conditions in adults. MDMA and psilocybin administered with psychotherapy have received FDA designation as "breakthrough therapies" for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) respectively. Given the potential benefit for minors burdened wit...
The therapeutic use of psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” is revolutionizing mental health care for a number of conditions, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and end-of-life care. This has spotlighted the current state of knowledge of psilocybin, including the organisms that endogenously produce it.
Many species of Inosperma cause neurotoxic poisoning in humans after consumption around the world. However, the toxic species of Inosperma and its toxin content remain unclear. In the present study, we proposed five new Inosperma species from China, namely, I. longisporum, I. nivalellum, I. sphaerobulbosum, I. squamulosobrunneum, and I. squamulosohinnuleum. ...
Psilocybin fungi, aka "magic" mushrooms, are well known for inducing colorful and visionary states of mind. Such psychoactive properties and the ease of cultivating their basidiocarps within low-tech setups make psilocybin fungi promising pharmacological tools for mental health applications. Understanding of the intrinsic electrical patterns occurring during...
Purpose: During a pathological inflammation, macrophages are activated to produce accumulation of inflammatory mediators such as induced-cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX) and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Pathological inflammation is a significant problem in many chronic diseases. As a result, more research into natural remedies with anti-infl...
