ACS Chemical Neuroscience
October 15, 2025
Cassandra J. Hatzipantelis, Lindsay P. Cameron, Min Liu et al.
Exogenously administered psychedelics produce both rapid and long-lasting effects on neuroplasticity and behavior, but it is currently unclear if endogenously produced psychedelics can elicit similar effects. There have been relatively few studies on the role of endogenous psychedelics in health and disease, perhaps owing to the difficulty in quantifying their levels and manipulating their...
Nature Neuroscience
September 1, 2025
Isak K Aarrestad, Lindsay P. Cameron, Ethan M Fenton et al.
Nonhallucinogenic psychoplastogens, such as tabernanthalog (TBG), are being developed as potentially safer, more scalable alternatives to psychedelics for promoting neuronal growth and treating various brain conditions. Currently, it is unclear whether 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A) receptors and immediate early gene (IEG) activation have a role in the neuroplasticity-promoting effects of...
Science
February 16, 2023
Maxemiliano V. Vargas, Lee E. Dunlap, Chunyang Dong et al.
467 citations
Decreased dendritic spine density in the cortex is a hallmark of several neuropsychiatric diseases, and the ability to promote cortical neuron growth has been hypothesized to underlie the rapid and sustained therapeutic effects of psychedelics. Activation of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 2A receptors (5-HT2ARs) is essential for psychedelic-induced cortical plasticity, but it is currently...
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
February 1, 2023
Lindsay P. Cameron, Seona D Patel, Maxemiliano V. Vargas et al.
113 citations
Psychedelic compounds have displayed antidepressant potential in both humans and rodents. Despite their promise, psychedelics can induce undesired effects that pose safety concerns and limit their clinical scalability. The rational development of optimized psychedelic-related medicines will require a full mechanistic understanding of how these molecules produce therapeutic effects. While the...