Serotonergic Psychedelics: A Comparative Review of Efficacy, Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Binding Profile
Friederike Holze, Nirmal Singh, Matthias E. Liechti, Deepak Cyril D’souza
Biological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging February 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.01.007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | LSD Mescaline Psilocybin Serotonin |
| Keywords | Pharmacokinetics Pharmacology Hallucinogen Pharmacodynamics |
| Citations | 50 |
| Key findings | Evidence for therapeutic indications is scarce except for psilocybin for depression, and no differences in psychedelic effects beyond effect duration were noted among the five compounds. |
Abstract
Psychedelic compounds, including psilocybin, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), DMT (N,N -dimethyltryptamine), and 5-MeO-DMT (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine), all of which are serotonin 2A receptor agonists, are being investigated as potential treatments. This review aims to summarize the current clinical research on these 4 compounds and mescaline to guide future research. Their mechanism(s) of action, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy, and safety were reviewed. While evidence for therapeutic indications, with the exception of psilocybin for depression, is still relatively scarce, we noted no differences in psychedelic effects beyond effect duration. Therefore, it remains unclear whether different receptor profiles contribute to the therapeutic potential of these compounds. More research is needed to differentiate these compounds in order to inform which compounds might be best for different therapeutic uses.