ACS Chem Neurosci
March 4, 2026
Nina Kastner, Núria Nadal‐gratacós, Selina Hemmer et al.
correction
Correction 1: Table 1.The analyses were conducted using the correct data, and all results, interpretations, and conclusions in the paper remain fully accurate.The issue is limited to the presentation of values in the table.Correction 2: p 4733, second paragraph, 1 st sentence.Thigmotaxis was evaluated to assess potential anxiety-like effects induced by the compounds.When comparing the tested...
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
December 2, 2025
Nina Kastner, Núria Nadal‐gratacós, Selina Hemmer et al.
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy, shows promise in treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), resulting in breakthrough status. However, concerns regarding MDMA's abuse potential and cytotoxicity have sparked interest in developing safer analogues with similar therapeutic benefits. This study investigated the pharmacological properties of...
Molecular Psychiatry
November 14, 2025
Núria Nadal‐gratacós, Pol Puigseslloses, Laura Hernández‐guzmán et al.
Psychedelics have garnered significant interest for their therapeutic potential in mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While research has primarily focused on well-studied psychedelics, phenethylamine derivatives have also gathered interest for their potential therapeutic applications. Thus, this study aims to investigate the pharmacological...
Journal of Neurochemistry
September 1, 2024
Ana Sofia Alberto-Silva, Selina Hemmer, Hailey A. Bock et al.
10 citations
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') is re-emerging in clinical settings as a candidate for the treatment of specific neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder) in combination with psychotherapy. MDMA is a psychoactive drug, typically regarded as an empathogen or entactogen, which leads to transporter-mediated monoamine release. Despite its therapeutic...
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
April 11, 2024
Ana Sofia Alberto-Silva, Selina Hemmer, Hailey A. Bock et al.
preprint
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ' ecstasy' ) is re-emerging in clinical settings as a candidate for the treatment of specific psychiatric disorders (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder) in combination with psychotherapy. MDMA is a psychoactive drug, typically regarded as an empathogen or entactogen, which leads to transporter-mediated monoamine release. Despite its therapeutic...
Molecular Psychiatry
March 14, 2024
Pol Puigseslloses, Gabriel Ketsela, Nicola Weiss et al.
23 citations
Abstract Recent studies have sparked renewed interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for treating depression and other mental health conditions. Simultaneously, the novel psychoactive substances (NPS) phenomenon, with a huge number of NPS emerging constantly, has changed remarkably the illicit drug market, being their scientific evaluation an urgent need. Thus, this study aims to...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
January 4, 2023
Felix P. Mayer, Dino Luethi, Lorena B. Areal et al.
1 citation
The consumption of psychoactive substances is inextricably linked with human history. Longstanding evidence supports the consumption of psychoactive substances that are found in plants and fungi (e.g. cathinone and muscimol, which are present in Catha edulis and Amanita muscaria, respectively) and alcoholic beverages. With the advent of more refined chemical approaches, isolated (e.g. cocaine)...
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
March 1, 2022
Deborah Rudin, John D. Mccorvy, Grant C. Glatfelter et al.
18 citations
Derivatives of (2-aminopropyl)indole (API) and (2-aminopropyl)benzofuran (APB) are new psychoactive substances which produce stimulant effects in vivo. (2-Aminopropyl)benzo[β]thiophene (APBT) is a novel sulfur-based analog of API and APB that has not been pharmacologically characterized. In the current study, we assessed the pharmacological effects of six APBT positional isomers in vitro, and...
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
November 30, 2021
Thomas J F Angenoorth, Stevan Stankovic, Marco Niello et al.
18 citations
Many psychoactive compounds have been shown to primarily interact with high-affinity and low-capacity solute carrier 6 (SLC6) monoamine transporters for norepinephrine (NET; norepinephrine transporter), dopamine (DAT; dopamine transporter) and serotonin (SERT; serotonin transporter). Previous studies indicate an overlap between the inhibitory capacities of substances at SLC6 and SLC22 human...
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
September 30, 2018
Julian Maier, Felix P. Mayer, Simon D. Brandt et al.
15 citations
Aminorex (5-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-oxazol-2-amine) and 4-methylaminorex (4-methyl-5-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-oxazol-2-amine) are psychostimulants that have long been listed in Schedules IV and I of the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971. However, a range of psychoactive analogues exist that are not internationally controlled and therefore often classified as new psychoactive...
Neuropharmacology
June 23, 2018
Julian Maier, Felix P. Mayer, Dino Luethi et al.
24 citations
(±)-cis-4,4′-Dimethylaminorex (4,4′-DMAR) is a new psychoactive substance (NPS) that has been associated with 31 fatalities and other adverse events in Europe between June 2013 and February 2014. We used in vitro uptake inhibition and transporter release assays to determine the effects of 4,4′-DMAR on human high-affinity transporters for dopamine (DAT), norepinephrine (NET) and serotonin...
Neuropharmacology
October 12, 2017
Felix P. Mayer, Nadine V. Burchardt, Ann M Decker et al.
30 citations
A variety of new psychoactive substances (NPS) are appearing in recreational drug markets worldwide. NPS are compounds that target various receptors and transporters in the central nervous system to achieve their psychoactive effects. Chemical modifications of existing drugs can generate NPS that are not controlled by current legislation, thereby providing legal alternatives to controlled...
Neuropharmacology
November 1, 2014
Bronwyn M Kivell, Zeljko Uzelac, Santhanalakshmi Sundaramurthy et al.
Salvinorin A (SalA), a selective κ-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist, produces dysphoria and pro-depressant like effects. These actions have been attributed to inhibition of striatal dopamine release. The dopamine transporter (DAT) regulates dopamine transmission via uptake of released neurotransmitter. KORs are apposed to DAT in dopamine nerve terminals suggesting an additional target by which...
The Journal of biological chemistry
May 25, 2012
Simon Bulling, Klaus Schicker, Yuan-Wei Zhang et al.
124 citations
Ibogaine, a hallucinogenic alkaloid proposed as a treatment for opiate withdrawal, has been shown to inhibit serotonin transporter (SERT) noncompetitively, in contrast to all other known inhibitors, which are competitive with substrate. Ibogaine binding to SERT increases accessibility in the permeation pathway connecting the substrate-binding site with the cytoplasm. Because of the structural...
Biological Chemistry
January 2, 2011
Thomas Steinkellner, Michael Freissmuth, Harald H. Sitte et al.
112 citations
Abstract Amphetamine (‘Speed’), methamphetamine (‘Ice’) and its congener 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘Ecstasy’) are illicit drugs abused worldwide for their euphoric and stimulant effects. Despite compelling evidence for chronic MDMA neurotoxicity in animal models, the physiological consequences of such toxicity in humans remain unclear. In addition, distinct differences in the...