Psilocybin Therapy of Psychiatric Disorders Is Not Hampered by hERG Potassium Channel–Mediated Cardiotoxicity
Benjamin Hackl, Hannes Todt, Helmut Kubista, Karlheinz Hilber, Xaver Koenig
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology December 3, 2021 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab085 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Mescaline Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Herg Hallucinogen Pharmacology Adverse effect Qt interval Potassium channel Cardiotoxicity |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key findings | Clinical concentrations of psilocin do not cause significant hERG potassium channel inhibition, indicating that hERG blockage is not responsible for psilocybin-associated cardiotoxic effects. |
Abstract
Abstract Psilocybin, a hallucinogen contained in “magic” mushrooms, holds great promise for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders, and early clinical trials are encouraging. Adverse cardiac events after intake of high doses of psilocybin and a trial reporting QT interval prolongation in the electrocardiogram attributed to the drug’s main metabolite, psilocin, gave rise to safety concerns. Here we show that clinical concentrations of psilocin do not cause significant human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channel inhibition, a major risk factor for adverse cardiac events. We conclude that hERG channel blockage by psilocin is not liable for psilocybin- associated cardiotoxic effects.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action Healthy human volunteers | 1998 | Experimental study | |
| Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Participants in controlled laboratory experiments receiving a moderate to high oral... | 2015 | Validation study using pooled data from five laboratory experiments | n = 184 |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for psychiatric and existential distress in patients with life-threatening cancer Participants with cancer-related psychiatric distress who completed a parent randomized... | 2020 | Long-term within-subjects follow-up analysis | n = 15 |
| Enzymatic Synthesis of Psilocybin | 2017 | Laboratory study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Cardiovascular safety of psychedelic medicine: current status and future directions Pharmacological Reports October 24, 2023
- Psychedelics for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: Interpreting and Translating Available Evidence and Guidance for Future Research. American Journal of Psychiatry 2025
- Cardiovascular effects and safety of classic psychedelics. Nature cardiovascular research February 1, 2025
- The Emergence of Psilocybin in Psychiatry and Neuroscience Pharmaceuticals April 9, 2025
- Psilocybin in late-life mental health: Addressing depression, loneliness, and existential anxiety General Hospital Psychiatry December 9, 2025
and 2 more in the library
Cites 7
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
- Pharmacokinetics of Escalating Doses of Oral Psilocybin in Healthy Adults Clinical Pharmacokinetics March 28, 2017
- Acute Effects of Psilocybin After Escitalopram or Placebo Pretreatment in a Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled, Crossover Study in Healthy Subjects Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics November 7, 2021
- Psilocybin-induced changes in brain network integrity and segregation correlate with plasma psilocin level and psychedelic experience. European Neuropsychopharmacology September 1, 2021
- Anti-addiction drug ibogaine inhibits voltage-gated ionic currents: a study to assess the drug's cardiac ion channel profile. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology December 1, 2013
and 2 more in the library