Structure-Guided Design of Novel 5-HT 2A Partial Agonists as Psychedelic Analogues with Antidepressant Effects
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry – October 14, 2025
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Serotonergic psychedelics rapidly and enduringly reduce depressive symptoms by influencing serotonin 2A receptors. Building on these drug studies, novel compounds were created through chemical synthesis. Scientists focused on neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior, designing partial agonists. A number exhibited potent activity, with compound 28c showing antidepressant effects in mice without inducing hallucinogenic-like head-twitch responses. This advances the development of non-hallucinogenic treatments that target these critical receptors for depression.
Abstract
Depression is primarily treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are limited by delayed onset of effects and low rates of remission. Recent studies showed that serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin can reduce depressive symptoms both rapidly and enduringly. Such effects have been associated with the activation of the serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor in the central nervous system, which has prompted medicinal chemistry studies of novel 5-HT2A agonists. In this study, we designed and synthesized novel 5-HT2A partial agonists based on the structures of the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole and our previously reported lead compound IHCH-7086. Two series of new compounds were synthesized, a number of which exhibited potent 5-HT2A partial agonist activity in G protein coupling and β-arrestin2 recruitment assays. Compound 28c exhibited antidepressant effects in the mouse tail-suspension test without inducing head-twitch responses, supplementing the growing reservoir of nonhallucinogenic 5-HT2A agonists.