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Kurt Rasmussen

6 papers in the library · 117 citations · publishing 1986-2025

Papers

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Zalsupindole is a Nondissociative, Nonhallucinogenic Neuroplastogen with Therapeutic Effects Comparable to Ketamine and Psychedelics

ACS Chemical Neuroscience October 13, 2025 Rajiv Agrawal, Daniel J. Gillie, Alison E. Mungenast et al. 8 citations

Many neuropsychiatric conditions, including depression, involve synaptic loss and atrophy of the prefrontal cortex. The rapid regrowth of cortical neurons has been hypothesized to explain the rapid and enduring therapeutic effects of psychedelics and the dissociative anesthetic ketamine. However, safety concerns related to hallucinogenic/dissociative properties have limited the addressable...

The psychoplastogen tabernanthalog induces neuroplasticity without proximate immediate early gene activation.

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...

Molecular design of a therapeutic LSD analogue with reduced hallucinogenic potential

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 14, 2025 Jeremy R Tuck, Lee E. Dunlap, Yara A Khatib et al. 32 citations

Decreased dendritic spine density in the cortex is a key pathological feature of neuropsychiatric diseases including depression, addiction, and schizophrenia (SCZ). Psychedelics possess a remarkable ability to promote cortical neuron growth and increase spine density; however, these compounds are contraindicated for patients with SCZ or a family history of psychosis. Here, we report the...

Identification of Psychoplastogenic Tropanes Lacking Muscarinic Activity

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry July 9, 2024 Hunter T Warren, Winston L. Chow, Milan Chytil et al. 5 citations

Tropane-containing small molecules like scopolamine are a promising class of psychoplastogens. However, their potent antagonism of all muscarinic receptor subtypes presents the potential for undesirable anticholinergic side effects. In an effort to decouple their neuroplasticity-promoting effects from their muscarinic activity, we performed phenotypic structure-activity relationship studies...

Clinical Trial Design Challenges and Opportunities for Emerging Treatments for Opioid Use Disorder: A Review.

JAMA Psychiatry 2023 Brian D Kiluk, Bethea A Kleykamp, Sandra D Comer et al. 22 citations

Novel treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD) are needed to address both the ongoing opioid epidemic and long-standing barriers to existing OUD treatments that target the endogenous μ-opioid receptor (MOR) system. The goal of this review is to highlight unique clinical trial design considerations for the study of emerging treatments for OUD that address targets beyond the MOR system. In...

Phenethylamine hallucinogens in the locus coeruleus: potency of action correlates with rank order of 5-HT2 binding affinity

European Journal of Pharmacology December 1, 1986 Kurt Rasmussen, Richard A Glennon, George K. Aghajanian 50 citations

The rank order of potency for the physiological effects of three phenethylamine hallucinogens in the locus coeruleus (LC) was identical to that previously shown for their 5-HT2 binding affinity [-) DOB greater than DOM greater than ( + )DOB). The behaviorally inactive positional isomer of DOB, SL-7161, did not significantly affect LC unit activity. These results offer insight into...