OBJECTIVE: Psychedelics such as psilocybin are known for their hallucinogenic properties and have also been reported to produce long-lasting therapeutic effects in depression and possibly also other psychiatric disorders. Several lines of evidence suggest that psilocybin exerts its effects through activation of 5-HT2A receptors located postsynaptically to se...
Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound responsible for the hallucinogenic effects of “magic mushrooms,” is synthesized by a biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) traditionally associated with Psilocybe species. However, psilocybin production has also been identified in multiple genera across the Strophariaceae, Hymenogastraceae, and Galeropsidaceae families. Here, ...
In the absence of specific studies on the Psilocybe genus in Italy, we provide information on the taxonomy, habitat, ecology, and distribution of the nine taxa currently recorded for Italy. A nomenclatural update of Psilocybe taxa reported in the Checklist of Italian Fungi (Basidiomycetes), published in 2005, is provided and seven scientific binomials are co...
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring tryptamine alkaloid found in over 200 species of fungi, has emerged as a focal point in the modern revival of psychedelic science. Once relegated to the margins of psychopharmacology due to its association with counterculture and strict legal restrictions, psilocybin is now undergoing a scientific renaissance. This transform...
BACKGROUND: Cognitive difficulties within treatment-resistant unipolar and bipolar depression (TRD; TRBD) often do not improve with conventional pharmacotherapies. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) has shown promise as a novel intervention for TRD; however, few studies have assessed its effects on cognition in this population. METHODS: This retrospecti...
Emerging evidence suggests that classical psychedelics may offer therapeutic potential for opioid use disorder (OUD) by alleviating key hallmarks such as altered reward processing and dependence. However, the mechanisms behind these effects remain unclear. Our data demonstrate that a single administration of the psychedelic psilocybin (PSI) reduces condition...
Abstract High-grade gliomas are the most aggressive form of brain tumors, and neuronal activity has emerged as a driver of glioma pathophysiology. Activity-dependent glioma growth results from paracrine factor signaling and bona fide neuron-to-glioma synapses that integrate glioma cells into brain-wide neuronal circuits. Here, we report how glioma cells inte...
method was developed for the analysis of serotonin in Caenorhabditis elegans. Samples were subjected to solvent-solvent extraction from basic conditions into n-heptanol. The serotonin was then back-extracted into acetic acid, the solution diluted into basic buffer, and labelled with 3-(2-furoyl) quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde in the presence of cyanide. The samp...
Zusammenfassung Psilocybin (4-Phosphoryloxy- N, N -dimethyltryptamin, 1 ) ist der hauptsächliche Indolethylamin-Naturstoff der psychotropen sogenannten Zauberpilze. Die Mehrheit der 1 -produzierenden Arten gehört zu der namensgebenden Gattung Psilocybe, für die die biosynthetischen Ereignisse, ausgehend von l -Tryptophan ( 2 ), sowie die beteiligten Enzyme g...
Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, 1) is the main indolethyl-amine natural product of psychotropic (so-called "magic") mushrooms. The majority of 1-producing species belongs to the eponymous genus Psilocybe, for which the biosynthetic events, beginning from l-tryptophan (2), and the involved enzymes have thoroughly been characterized. Some I...
Introduction Psychoactive Psilocybe spp. mushrooms pose significant public health risks. We report a cluster of Psilocybe keralensis poisonings in Chengdu, China, highlighting its unique clinical features and cardiovascular complications.Case Series Four patients ingested 16-90 g of wild mushrooms (misidentified as an edible species, but later molecularly co...
Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has been shown in early trials to reduce the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of PAT as a third-line treatment for major depressive disorder compared to standard of care (SOC). We used an individual-level, probabilistic simulation model that portrays representative...
Psilocybin, a serotonergic compound that produces psychedelic effects primarily through activation of the 5-HT2A receptor, has shown promise in treating neuropsychiatric conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the effects of chronic psilocybin administration on gut function, microbiota, and behavioural phenotypes remain understudi...
Through its widespread reciprocal connections with the cerebral cortex, the claustrum is implicated in sleep and waking cortical network states. Yet, basic knowledge of neuromodulation in this structure is lacking. The claustrum is richly innervated by serotonergic fibers, expresses serotonin receptors, and is suggested to play a role in the ability of psilo...
BACKGROUND: The consumption of dried fruiting bodies of Psilocybe cubensis can be traced over centuries, guided by Mesoamerican curanderas, Western medical practitioners, and fungal enthusiasts, all seeking mental wellbeing. There is a notable resurgence in interest both in the fungal biomass and psilocybin, the psychoactive tryptamine, despite the global re...
Depression prevalence is markedly elevated in oncological patients, particularly among head and neck cancer (HNC) cohorts, who face twice the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to other cancer populations. MDD in this context independently predicts poorer clinical outcomes and increased morbidity. HNC management often involves acute surgi...
