Polypharmacology or “Pharmacological Promiscuity” In Psychedelic Research: What Are We Missing?
Genís Ona, Rafael G. Dos Santos, Jaime E. C. Hallak, José Carlos Bouso
ACS Chemical Neuroscience October 6, 2020 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00614 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Promiscuity Pharmacology |
| Citations | 12 |
| Key points | Argues that research on psychedelic drugs may be missing therapeutic benefits by not studying whole natural products like ayahuasca or Psilocybe mushrooms under a polypharmacology paradigm. |
Abstract
Research with psychedelic drugs has mainly focused on isolated compounds. However, this approach is challenged by the "polypharmacology" paradigm. In this Viewpoint, we suggest that we may be missing something if we do not use the whole product in the case of ayahuasca or Psilocybe mushrooms. After describing how research on psychedelic drugs can be effectively combined with the polypharmacology paradigm, ethical issues are also briefly discussed.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The globalization of ayahuasca: Harm reduction or benefit maximization? | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ayahuasca healing beyond the Amazon: the globalization of a traditional indigenous entheogenic practice | 2008 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Psychedelic-inspired approaches for treating neurodegenerative disorders. Journal of Neurochemistry July 1, 2022
- Administration of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in psychedelic therapeutics and research and the study of endogenous DMT Psychopharmacology January 22, 2022
- N,N‐dimethyltryptamine and Amazonian ayahuasca plant medicine Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental February 17, 2022
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibition by Plant-Derived β-Carbolines; Implications for the Psychopharmacology of Tobacco and Ayahuasca Frontiers in Pharmacology May 2, 2022
- Communalistic use of psychoactive plants as a bridge between traditional healing practices and Western medicine: A new path for the Global Mental Health movement. Transcultural Psychiatry October 1, 2022
and 5 more in the library
Cites 4
- DMT Models the Near-Death Experience Frontiers in Psychology August 15, 2018
- The current state of research on ayahuasca: A systematic review of human studies assessing psychiatric symptoms, neuropsychological functioning, and neuroimaging Journal of Psychopharmacology June 11, 2016
- Simultaneous Production of Psilocybin and a Cocktail of β‐Carboline Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors in “Magic” Mushrooms Chemistry - A European Journal November 14, 2019
- Neuroprotective potential of Ayahuasca and untargeted metabolomics analyses: applicability to Parkinson's disease. Journal of Ethnopharmacology June 12, 2020