Classic psychedelics do not affect T cell and monocyte immune responses.
Deborah Rudin, Alexander Areesanan, Matthias E. Liechti, Carsten Gründemann
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1042440 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | In vitro study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Primary human T lymphocytes and monocytes |
| Interventions | Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) psilocin N N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) mescaline |
| Topics | DMT LSD Mescaline Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Psychedelics hallucinogens Entheogens Immunology immune system T cells Monocytes Immune function Medical research scientific |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key points | LSD, psilocin, DMT, and mescaline did not directly stimulate proliferation or cytokine secretion of primary human T lymphocytes or stimulate NF-κB induction of monocytes. |
Abstract
Classic psychedelics have been shown to exert therapeutic potential for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders, neuropsychiatric diseases, and neuronal damage. Besides their psychopharmacological activity, psychedelics have been reported to modulate immune functions. There has thus far been a sparse exploration of the direct immune-modulating effect of psychedelics on human immune cells in vitro. Since T cells are key mediators of several immune functions, inhibition of their function would increase the risk of infections. We investigated the effect of the classic psychedelics lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and mescaline on the proliferation and stimulated cytokine release of primary human T lymphocytes and on the stimulated NF-κB induction of monocytes. We did not observe any relevant direct immune-modulatory effects of the tested classic psychedelics in either cell line. We concluded that LSD, psilocin, DMT, or mescaline did not directly stimulate the proliferation or cytokine secretion of primary human T lymphocytes or stimulate NF-κB induction of monocytes. Our findings support the future safe use of classic psychedelics in assisted psychotherapy in patients with life-threatening diseases where immune suppression and diminished immune function would be detrimental.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correlation between the potency of hallucinogens in the mouse head-twitch response assay and their behavioral and subjective effects in other species. C57BL/6J mice | 2020 | Experimental study with dose-response experiments | |
| Brain mechanisms of hallucinogens and entactogens Humans and rats | 2001 | Review | |
| Effects of hallucinogenic agents mescaline and phencyclidine on zebrafish behavior and physiology Zebrafish (Danio rerio) | 2012 | Experimental study | |
| Lysergic Acid Diethylamide- and Mescaline-Induced Attenuation of the Effect of Punishment in the Rat Rats | 1976 | Experimental study | |
| Dihydrobenzofuran Analogues of Hallucinogens. 3. Models of 4-Substituted (2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)alkylamine Derivatives with Rigidified Methoxy Groups Rats (trained to discriminate saline from LSD tartrate) and rat cortical and... | 1996 | In vivo drug discrimination assay and in vitro radioligand binding assay |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Psilocin, the Psychoactive Metabolite of Psilocybin, Modulates Select Neuroimmune Functions of Microglial Cells in a 5-HT2 Receptor-Dependent Manner Molecules October 28, 2024
- Psychedelic and nutraceutical interventions as therapeutic strategies for military-related mild traumatic brain injuries Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health October 25, 2023
- Narrating the psychoneuroimmunomodulatory properties of serotonin 5-HT2A receptor psychedelics from a transdiagnostic perspective. Acta Neuropsychiatrica July 25, 2025
- Human pluripotent stem cells as a translational toolkit in psychedelic research in vitro. iScience March 28, 2024
- Advancing cancer neuroscience through stress modulation: Interdisciplinary potential of psilocybin and ketamine General Hospital Psychiatry February 25, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 28
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Safety and Efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated With Life-threatening Diseases The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease March 4, 2014
- LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects Journal of Psychopharmacology November 11, 2014
- Changes in global and thalamic brain connectivity in LSD-induced altered states of consciousness are attributable to the 5-HT2A receptor Elife October 25, 2018
- Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern‐era clinical studies Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica October 30, 2020
and 23 more in the library