The Potential of Psilocybin Administration in Terminal Cancer Patients
Richard Simoneaux
Oncology Times June 28, 2019 DOI: 10.1097/01.cot.0000574916.46844.cf (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Depression economics Cancer Pharmacology |
| Key findings | Psilocybin, an alkaloid in over 200 mushroom species, is converted by the liver to psilocin, which is thought to act as a partial agonist at several serotonin receptors. The text notes that 1960s research on psychedelic agents was drastically affected by subsequent restrictions. |
Abstract
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in more than 200 species of mushrooms. This compound, which was first isolated by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofman in 1959, is the active constituent of psychedelic mushrooms which are thought to have been utilized by humans since prehistoric times. In vivo, psilocybin is converted by the liver to psilocin, which is in fact the active pharmacological agent. Mechanistically, psilocin is thought to function as a partial agonist to several serotonin receptors. In the 1960s, several different groups were performing research using psychedelic agents; however, these studies were drastically affected by the U.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| The pharmacology of psilocybin | 2002 | Review | |
| Serotonin research: contributions to understanding psychoses | 2008 | Review | |
| Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness | 2018 | Review | |
| The abuse potential of medical psilocybin according to the 8 factors of the Controlled Substances Act | 2018 | Review |