Experimental Neurology
September 1, 2026
Javier Calleja‐conde, Víctor Echeverry‐alzate, Marina Sanz-Sancristóbal et al.
In a preclinical model of Parkinson's disease, the compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), the main psychoactive ingredient in ayahuasca, reduced neuroinflammation and preserved neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. Treated animals also showed improvements in behavior. These results suggest DMT may have disease-modifying potential for Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by loss of dopaminergic neurons and chronic inflammation, for which current treatments only relieve symptoms.
Figshare
July 10, 2026
José Alexandre Salerno, Elizabeth R. Dominguez, Karina Karmirian et al.
A brief 24-hour exposure to the serotonergic psychedelic DMT increases proliferation of human neural stem cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. The effect was concentration-dependent, with half-maximal effect at 59.7 nM. DMT treatment also altered trophic gene expression, decreasing neurotrophin-3 while increasing nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcripts and intracellular BDNF protein. After DMT was removed, the primed stem cells formed larger neurospheres, with progenitor and early neuronal marker composition matching controls by day 10. These findings demonstrate that brief DMT exposure engages proliferative and neurotrophin-associated responses in human neural stem cells at concentrations consistent with those reported for DMT-induced plasticity in other systems.
ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters
July 10, 2026
Anna C. Renner, Robert B. Kargbo
The psychedelic therapeutics field is moving beyond classical hallucinogens to integrated treatment platforms that combine optimized pharmacology, drug delivery, and clinical implementation. Recent patent applications describe selective 5-HT2A receptor activators, precision aerosol delivery technologies for psychedelic compounds, and structured 5-MeO-DMT treatment regimens for depression. These innovations represent a convergence toward scalable, safer, and clinically practical neuropsychiatric therapies that may reshape the future of serotonergic medicine.
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
July 9, 2026
José Alexandre Salerno, Elizabeth R. Dominguez, Karina Karmirian et al.
Brief exposure to the psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) increases proliferation of human neural stem cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. A 24-hour DMT treatment boosted cell division in a concentration-dependent way, with half-maximal effect at 59.7 nM, and raised levels of G1 cell-cycle regulators. DMT also altered expression of trophic genes, decreasing neurotrophin-3 while increasing nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcripts and intracellular BDNF protein. After DMT was removed, treated stem cells formed larger neurospheres, with progenitor and early neuron markers matching controls by day 10. The findings indicate DMT can engage proliferative and neurotrophin-related responses in human neural stem cells at concentrations linked to plasticity in other systems.
Metabolic Engineering Communications
July 1, 2026
Lucas Henrique Junges, Flávia Lada Degaut Pontes, Francisco J. Teles Mota et al.
A two-step bacterial pathway converting L-tryptophan to the psychoactive alkaloid N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) was reconstructed in Escherichia coli. The pathway combined a tryptophan decarboxylase from Ruminococcus gnavus and a methyltransferase from the cane toad Rhinella marina. Methionine supplementation increased DMT levels 2.8-fold, indicating that methylation capacity is a key constraint. In shake-flask cultures, a co-expression strain produced 103 mg/L DMT after 48 hours in complex medium. Using a tryptophan-enriched supernatant from Corynebacterium glutamicum enabled de novo DMT formation at 16 mg/L in defined medium. The findings identify methyltransferase capacity as a target for yield improvements.
Neuropharmacology
July 1, 2026
Anne Nathalia De Sousa-Silva, Clarissa de Almeida Moura, Carina Ioná De Oliveira Torres et al.
1 citation
In helpless mice, the psychedelic compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) produced rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects comparable to the fast-acting antidepressant S-ketamine. DMT at 10 mg/kg reversed escape deficits and reduced immobility in several behavioral tests, with effects lasting up to 8 days, whereas S-ketamine's effects lasted up to 30 hours. DMT also showed anxiolytic-like effects, reversing stress-induced hypolocomotion and increasing open-arm exploration, while S-ketamine did not. Neither drug altered behavior in the novelty-suppressed feeding test. These findings suggest DMT has transdiagnostic therapeutic potential for stress-related disorders.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
June 24, 2026
Enkhamgalan Nasanjargal
The text provided is a fragment consisting only of a period, which is insufficient to describe any study, argument, or finding. It cannot be summarized.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
June 24, 2026
Enkhamgalan Nasanjargal
No Summary
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
June 24, 2026
Ramiro Solis
The brain's ability to rewire itself declines with age, but why remains unclear. This paper examines whether the compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) helps maintain neuroplasticity, and whether its decline contributes to age-related loss of cognitive flexibility. DMT promotes synaptic growth and neurogenesis in animals, and levels are reportedly highest during development. However, evidence is mixed: one study finds DMT concentrations comparable to serotonin, while another finds it undetectable in rat brain. DMT's affinity for the sigma-1 receptor is three orders of magnitude higher than physiological concentrations, and a key finding about intracellular 5-HT2A receptor binding has not been replicated. The paper does not claim the hypothesis is established, but proposes a research program to test whether DMT depletion causes lost plasticity or is incidental.
Future Pharmacology
June 23, 2026
Gabriella de Souza Gomes Ribeiro, Pieter Annaert, Frederico Severino Martins et al.
CYP2D6 genetic variants substantially alter the body's exposure to the psychedelic brew ayahuasca's active compounds, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmine (HRM). Using physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling, poor metabolizers showed 53.3% higher area under the curve (AUC) and 40.5% higher peak concentration (Cmax) for DMT, with similar but smaller increases for HRM; ultra-rapid metabolizers showed reduced exposure to both. These results indicate that CYP2D6 polymorphisms contribute to interindividual variability in ayahuasca pharmacokinetics, with potential clinical implications.