Figshare
June 23, 2026
Elena Bray, Grant C. Glatfelter, Alexander D. Maitland et al.
The ongoing psychedelic renaissance has prompted a renewed search for novel drugs based on modifying existing psychedelic motifs. In this study, a synthesis of 4-bromo-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (4-Br-DMT) was achieved and used as a late-stage intermediate for analog development. Specifically, we were able to synthesize and access novel molecules by forming carbon–carbon bonds at the C4 position...
ACS Omega
June 23, 2026
Elena Bray, Grant C. Glatfelter, Alexander D. Maitland et al.
-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Overall, the data indicate that 4-Br-DMT has a serotonergic profile without psychedelic-like effects in mice but has a reduced safety profile compared to psilocin and DMT.
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
May 27, 2026
Grant C. Glatfelter, Serena S. Schalk, Donna Walther et al.
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Tryptamine psychedelics induce psychoactive effects via agonist actions at serotonin 2A receptors (5-HT 2A ), but the compounds are generally nonselective. 4-Methoxy- N -methyl- N -isopropyltryptamine (4-MeO-MiPT) is a 5-HT 2A agonist which also blocks the 5-HT transporter (SERT) and has blunted visual and other psychedelic effects in humans....
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
April 21, 2026
Jeanine Yacoub, Elena Bray, Jude Bayyat et al.
Serotonergic psychedelics such as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (psilocybin) show therapeutic promise for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders but may be limited by liabilities from serotonin (5-HT)-2A mediated psychoactive effects and potential cardiotoxicity via 5-HT2B activation. To address these limitations, we designed and synthesized...
Molecular Psychiatry
November 5, 2025
Dino Luethi, Grant C. Glatfelter, Eline Pottie et al.
1 citation
Abstract Various ring-substituted α-methylphenethylamines (i.e., amphetamines) produce psychedelic-like effects that are primarily mediated by activity at 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT 2A ) receptors. Small lipophilic substituents at the 4-position of the 2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine core structure can greatly enhance the clinical potency of such derivatives. Here, we studied the effects of various...
Psychopharmacology
May 17, 2025
Shelby A. McGriff, Jacquelin C Hecker, Alexander D. Maitland et al.
12 citations
The head twitch response (HTR) is a spontaneously occurring behavior in mice that is increased in frequency by serotonergic psychedelics. The mouse HTR is often used as a proxy for psychedelic-like drug effects, but limited information is available about sex differences in HTRs evoked by various classes of psychedelics (i.e., phenethylamines, lysergamides, tryptamines). To examine potential sex...
bioRxiv Preprint Server
April 28, 2025
Alexander D. Maitland, Nicholas R. Gonzalez, Donna Walther et al.
1 citation
preprint
Serotonergic psychedelics induce the head twitch response (HTR) in mice, an index of serotonin (5-HT) 2A receptor (5-HT2A) agonism and a behavioral proxy for psychedelic effects in humans. Existing methods for detecting HTRs include time-consuming visual scoring, magnetometer-based approaches, and analysis of videos using semi-automated commercial software. Here, we present a new automated...