A possibly sigma-1 receptor mediated role of dimethyltryptamine in tissue protection, regeneration, and immunity.
J Neural Transm (Vienna) April 26, 2013 Ede Frecska, Attila Szabo, Michael J. Winkelman et al. 107 citations
DMT, a naturally occurring hallucinogen found in plants and animal tissues, may have biological functions beyond its psychedelic effects. Its role as an endogenous ligand of the sigma-1 receptor suggests involvement in cellular protective mechanisms, including effects on cellular bioenergetics, immunoregulation, and gene expression related to its synthesizing enzyme in carcinogenesis. The evidence indicates DMT is not merely a drug of abuse but an agent of adaptive mechanisms with potential for future medical therapies.