Psilocybin is an active alkaloid found in magic mushrooms (Psilocybe cubensis). It is classified as a Class I Psychoactive Substance due to its psychoactive properties. Recent research has suggested that psilocybin holds potential for treating major depressive disorder. The objective of this study was to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for psilocybin and its active...
Objective: Psychedelics are able to trigger highly intense and profound alterations in self-consciousness, perception, affective, and cognitive processes. Indeed, recent studies show that ketamine and psilocybin could be used as fast-acting antidepressants. However, the molecular and neurochemical mechanisms of these psychedelics and their actions at the level of diverse brain structures...
Abstract Regulatory compliance is crucial in the clinical development of psychedelic substances, including psilocybin. This study aimed to examine the alignment of clinical trial protocols for psilocybin in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) with established regulatory requirements. A cross-sectional investigation was conducted on...
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy represents a promising addition to palliative care interventions, potentially improving quality of life by addressing existential distress. Despite its safety and effectiveness, this therapy remains limited in Canada, underscoring the need for improved access to ease suffering from life-threatening illnesses. However, important questions remain regarding how to...
Psilocybin, the prodrug to the psychoactive compound in 'magic' mushrooms, is currently being studied in clinical trials as a treatment for severe mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Previous reports of psilocybin biosynthesis as reconstituted in E. coli reported maximum titers of 1.16 g/L, exclusively using genes from the most common recreationally used mushroom,...
We aimed to investigate whether psilocin, the bioactive metabolite of the well-known psychedelic, psilocybin, may have antipruritic effects in mice by interfering with the kynurenine pathway and interacting with 5-HT2A receptors. Eight mice were randomly assigned to each of the study groups receiving either normal saline, compound 48/80, psilocin (0.3, 1, and 3 mg/kg), or psilocin (1 mg/kg) +...
ABSTRACT PsiConnect is a large-scale neuroimaging study designed to investigate the neural and subjective effects of psilocybin using multimodal neuroimaging. It combines functional, structural, and diffusion-weighted MRI with EEG to examine brain activity in 62 participants before and after a 19 mg dose of psilocybin. The design includes resting-state scans and three naturalistic conditions:...
Psilocybin demonstrates a clinically meaningful reduction in phantom and residual limb pain. Adaptive sensory environments (ASEs) separately offer biosensor-guided modulation of psychological states during psychoactive therapy. This Patent Highlight explores the pharmacological findings of a psilocybin trial and discusses future integration with ASE systems to precision and scale...
Abstract Advanced clinical trials investigate the Psilocybe magic mushroom natural product psilocybin as a treatment against major depressive disorder. Currently, synthetic material is used to meet the demand for legitimate pharmaceutical purposes. Here, we report an in vitro approach to biocatalytically produce psilocybin on a solid‐phase matrix charged with five covalently bound biosynthetic...
Mood dysfunction is highly prevalent in Parkinson's disease (PD), a main predictor of functional decline, and difficult to treat-novel interventions are critically needed. Psilocybin shows early promise for treating depression and anxiety, but its potential in PD is unknown, as safety concerns have excluded people with neurodegenerative disease from previous trials. In this open-label pilot...
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound, has garnered renewed scientific interest for its potential in treating psychiatric and neurological disorders. This review systematically examines the latest research on psilocybin’s pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy, and safety profile. Emerging evidence supports its efficacy in conditions such as major depressive...
ABSTRACT Studies reporting novel therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs are rapidly emerging. However, the reproducibility and reliability of these findings could remain uncertain for years. Here, we implemented a multi-institutional collaborative approach to define the robust and replicable effects of the psychedelic drug psilocybin on mouse behavior. Five laboratories performed the same...
To examine the relationship of acute psychedelic effects and measures of mental health with headache frequency in clinical trials of psilocybin in migraine and cluster headache.
The growing interest in psychedelic compounds for psychiatric disorders highlights the importance of well-designed preclinical studies [ 1 , 2 ]. In this context, Brownstein et al. [ 3 ] recently reported evidence of potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic mushroom extract (PME) in the SAPAP3 knockout (KO) mouse model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)-like behaviours.
Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has gained recognition as an innovative intervention in hospice and palliative care, demonstrating potential in mitigating the psychological, spiritual, and existential distress experienced by patients with serious illnesses. This article explores the role of PAT within these care settings, emphasizing its influence on various dimensions of human suffering, as...
This scoping review addresses the need to comprehensively explore the potential of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) to facilitate recovery from moral injury. Moral injury (MI), characterized by profound psychological distress arising from morally challenging experiences, has garnered increased attention as a complex mental health concern with significant functional sequelae, especially...
Psilocybin has various therapeutic effects in mental and psychological disorders, including depression and mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, substance addiction and anxiety. Pharmacodynamic properties of psilocybin depend on doses used and time after administration. The psilocybin dose range varies depending on whether it is used therapeutically or for recreational purposes in...
Evidence on the neuropsychological consequences of classic psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca is conflicting, and little is known about how sporadic use of psychedelics under naturalistic conditions may affect cognitive functioning. Given the growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and the rise in non-medical use, further exploration into their...
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, shows promise as a novel intervention with a single administration inducing rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects. However, there are limited studies on the optimal dosing required for the beneficial effects of psilocybin given its side effects. To address this gap, we investigated in Wistar rats whether a single...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy could transform treating psychiatric illness, but harms from exacerbating substance use disorder (SUD) among adults with psychiatric illness using psychedelics have not been studied. A cross-sectional survey in the US was used to test whether Drug Abuse Screening Test scores (DAST-10, validated instrument predicting SUD) were more severe when psychiatric illnesses...