Translational Psychiatry
September 1, 2026
Sandra M. Martin-Guerrero, Marco Taddei-Tardón, Jessica L. Maltman et al.
Abstract Psychedelic drugs can induce intense changes in perception and thought, and some also promote long-lasting adaptations in brain circuits that are being explored for treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. How these compounds differ at the level of intracellular signaling, and how hallucinogenic drugs diverge from related non-hallucinogenic forms, is poorly understood. A central...
Molecular Psychiatry
July 16, 2026
Marco Taddei-Tardón, Lidia Medina-Rodríguez, Jessica L Maltman et al.
Serotonergic psychedelics have attracted considerable interest as promising therapeutic agents. However, the molecular mechanisms linking their acute hallucinogenic-like effects to longer-lasting neuroplastic responses remain incompletely understood, partly because of the scarcity of native neural models suitable for mechanistic studies. Here, we developed a neural stem cell-derived in vitro...
Elife
March 31, 2026
Jessica L Maltman, Javier González-Maeso
Human neurons derived from stem cells show increased structural complexity and stronger synaptic connections after exposure to psilocin, the active metabolite of the psychedelic psilocybin.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
March 23, 2026
Marco Taddei-Tardón, Lidia Medina-Rodríguez, Jessica L Maltman et al.
Abstract Serotonergic psychedelics have attracted considerable interest as promising therapeutic agents. However, the molecular mechanisms linking their acute hallucinogenic-like effects to longer-lasting neuroplastic responses remain incompletely understood, partly because of the scarcity of native neural models suitable for mechanistic studies. Here, we developed a neural stem cell-derived in...
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 2, 2026
Maya C Gaines-Smith, Justin M Silverman, Michael Fiorillo et al.
3 citations
The psychoactive entactogen 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), widely known as a recreational drug, is gaining renewed attention as a potential psychotherapeutic adjunct for treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders, yet its neurobiological mechanisms - particularly those related to its stereoisomers and sex-specific effects - remain poorly understood. Here, we report stereoselective and...
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
December 17, 2025
Justin M Silverman, Michael Fiorillo, Jason Younkin et al.
1 citation
α-Ethyltryptamine (AET), a synthetic tryptamine formerly used as an antidepressant, has resurfaced as a compound of interest due to its structural and functional overlap with serotonergic psychedelics and entactogens. Here, we characterized the pharmacological properties of racemic AET and its optical isomers, R(-)-AET and S(+)-AET, focusing on their interactions with the serotonin (or...
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
November 26, 2025
Sandra M. Martin-Guerrero, Marco Taddei-Tardón, Jessica L Maltman et al.
preprint
Psychedelic drugs can induce intense changes in perception and thought, and some also promote long-lasting adaptations in brain circuits that are being explored for treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. How these compounds differ at the level of intracellular signalling, and how hallucinogenic drugs diverge from related non-hallucinogenic forms, is poorly understood. A central question is...
Nature Communications
November 20, 2025
Alaina M Jaster, Thomas M Hadlock, Belle Buzzi et al.
9 citations
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 conditioned behavior and withdrawal induced by...