ProliferativeEffects of the Psychedelic N,N-Dimethyltryptamine(DMT) in Human Neural Stem Cells
José Alexandre Salerno, Elizabeth R. Dominguez, Karina Karmirian, Breno A.b.m.s. Arrais, Juliano Alves, Giovanna Erjautz, Kennedy Kroening, Leticia R. Q. Souza, Isis Ornelas, Stevens Rehen
Figshare July 10, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.6c00209.s001 via OpenAlex
Summary
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.
Study at a glance
| Design | in vitro experimental study |
|---|---|
| Population | human iPSC-derived neural stem cells |
| Key finding | Brief 24-hour DMT exposure increases proliferation of human neural stem cells in a concentration-dependent manner and upregulates neurotrophin expression, including BDNF. |
Abstract
The serotonergic psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) produces rapid antidepressant effects in preclinical and early clinical studies. Therapeutic benefits have been linked to sustained neural plasticity, including adult neurogenesis in rodents. Whether brief DMT exposure engages proliferative responses in human neural stem cells (NSCs) remains unresolved. Using human iPSC-derived NSCs, we found that 24 h DMT treatment increased proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner (half-maximal effect at 59.7 nM) and upregulated G1 cell-cycle regulators. DMT also shifted trophic gene expression, decreasing neurotrophin-3 while increasing nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcripts and intracellular BDNF protein. After washout, DMT-primed NSCs formed larger neurospheres, with progenitor and early neuronal marker composition matching controls by day 10. These findings demonstrate that brief DMT exposure is sufficient to engage proliferative and neurotrophin-associated responses in human NSCs at concentrations consistent with those reported for DMT-induced plasticity across other systems.