The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Leonard Lerer, Kathleen Spear, Jeet Varia et al.
Abstract Background Psilocybin research in depression has been generated using chemically synthesized psilocybin (PSI). Psychedelic mushrooms produce additional tryptamines that may enhance the neuroplastic effect of psilocybin. In a rodent depression model, an extract of a psychedelic mushroom (PME) had a stronger and more prolonged effect than PSI on behavior[1]. Aims and Objectives To...
Molecular Psychiatry
October 11, 2024
Michal Brownstien, Michal Lazar, Alexander Botvinnik et al.
23 citations
Abstract Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly prevalent disorder that causes serious disability. Available treatments leave 40% or more of people with OCD significantly symptomatic. There is an urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches. Mice that carry a homozygous deletion of the SAPAP3 gene (SAPAP3 KO) manifest a phenotype of excessive self-grooming, tic-like head-body twitches...
Molecular Psychiatry
July 1, 2024
Orr Shahar, Alexander Botvinnik, Amit Shwartz et al.
37 citations
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring, tryptamine alkaloid prodrug, is currently being investigated for the treatment of a range of psychiatric disorders. Preclinical reports suggest that the biological effects of psilocybin-containing mushroom extract or "full spectrum" (psychedelic) mushroom extract (PME), may differ from those of chemically synthesized psilocybin (PSIL). We compared the effects...
Frontiers in Pharmacology
April 18, 2024
Elad Lerer, Alexander Botvinnik, Orr Shahar et al.
14 citations
Background: Immediate early genes (IEGs) are rapidly activated and initiate diverse cellular processes including neuroplasticity. We report the effect of psilocybin (PSIL), PSIL-containing psychedelic mushroom extract (PME) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) on expression of the IEGs, cfos, egr1 , and egr2 in mouse somatosensory cortex (SSC). Methods: In our initial experiment, male C57Bl/6j mice...
Research Square
July 20, 2023
Orr Shahar, Alexander Botvinnik, Amit Shwartz et al.
3 citations
Abstract Psilocybin, a naturally occurring, tryptamine alkaloid prodrug, is currently being investigated for the treatment of a range of psychiatric disorders. Preclinical reports suggest that the biological effects of psilocybin-containing mushroom extract or “full spectrum” (psychedelic) mushroom extract (PME), may differ from those of chemically synthesized psilocybin (PSIL). We compared the...
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
March 1, 2023
Leonard Lerer, Eric Reynolds, Jeet Varia et al.
6 citations
There is growing interest in the therapeutic potential of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) for psychiatric disorders. Although 5-MeO-DMT can be chemically synthesized, the parotoid gland secretions of Incilius alvarius (also known as the Colorado River or Sonoran Desert toad) contain 5-MeO-DMT and other molecules including bufotenine, bufagenins, bufotoxins, and indole alkylamines...
Molecular Psychiatry
2023
Gilly Wolf, Sandeep Singh, Karin Blakolmer et al.
Schizophrenia is a widespread psychiatric disorder that affects 0.5-1.0% of the world's population and induces significant, long-term disability that exacts high personal and societal cost. Negative symptoms, which respond poorly to available antipsychotic drugs, are the primary cause of this disability. Association of negative symptoms with cortical atrophy and cell loss is widely reported....
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
May 22, 2022
Leonard Lerer, Eric Reynolds, Jeet Varia et al.
preprint
Abstract There is growing interest in the therapeutic potential of 5-MeO-DMT (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) for psychiatric disorders. While 5-MeO-DMT can be chemically synthesized, the parotoid gland secretions of Incilius alvarius (also known as the Colorado River or Sonoran Desert toad) contain 5-MeO-DMT and other molecules including bufotenine, bufagenins, bufotoxins, and indole...