Exploring Hallucinogen Pharmacology and Psychedelic Medicine with Zebrafish Models
Zebrafish – March 22, 2016
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Hallucinogens like psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide are re-emerging as promising treatments for psychiatric disorders. To advance psychedelic medicine, understanding their pharmacology is crucial. Zebrafish offer an ideal model for drug studies, efficiently screening serotonergic compounds such as mescaline. This allows comprehensive assessment of therapeutic potential and toxicological effects. Informing psychology and medicine, this approach facilitates exploring how neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior can unlock new treatment avenues for brain disorders.
Abstract
After decades of sociopolitical obstacles, the field of psychiatry is experiencing a revived interest in the use of hallucinogenic agents to treat brain disorders. Along with the use of ketamine for depression, recent pilot studies have highlighted the efficacy of classic serotonergic hallucinogens, such as lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin, in treating addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. However, many basic pharmacological and toxicological questions remain unanswered with regard to these compounds. In this study, we discuss psychedelic medicine as well as the behavioral and toxicological effects of hallucinogenic drugs in zebrafish. We emphasize this aquatic organism as a model ideally suited to assess both the potential toxic and therapeutic effects of major known classes of hallucinogenic compounds. In addition, novel drugs with hallucinogenic properties can be efficiently screened using zebrafish models. Well-designed preclinical studies utilizing zebrafish can contribute to the reemerging treatment paradigm of psychedelic medicine, leading to new avenues of clinical exploration for psychiatric disorders.