Archives of toxicology
March 31, 2026
Kamil Jurowski, Damian Kobylarz, Maciej Noga
Serotonergic tryptamines, including psilocin, psilocybin, DMT, and 5-MeO-DMT, are increasingly used medically and recreationally, but experimental toxicity data are scarce. A comprehensive computational assessment using nine validated QSAR models evaluated six tryptamines for acute toxicity, organ effects, cardiotoxicity, genotoxicity, irritation, and estrogenic activity. All compounds were classified as high toxicological concern (Cramer Class III). Predicted oral LD50 values ranged from 100 to 500 mg/kg, indicating moderate to high acute toxicity. Cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems were primary targets (≥90% predicted effect). DMT and 5-MeO-DMT showed the highest predicted hERG inhibition (IC50 20–45 µM), suggesting cardiotoxic potential, while psilocybin showed lower risk (IC50 ≈760 µM). Most tryptamines were predicted non-mutagenic and non-endocrine active.
Translational Psychiatry
March 27, 2026
Livio Erne, Lorenz Mueller, Isabelle Straumann et al.
Bolus injections of DMT produce very strong subjective effects that peak within 2 minutes and subside completely within 12–30 minutes, consistent with a short elimination half-life of about 6–7 minutes. A ceiling effect for peak subjective effects occurred at the 15 mg dose, and no tolerance developed to the acute effects. Tolerability markedly improved when doses were escalated openly rather than given double-blind, and at equivalent doses the subjective effects were rated as less intense. These results indicate that blinding and expectancy influence the subjective experience and that individual dose-escalation may improve tolerability and guide dose selection in future DMT studies.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
March 11, 2026
A proposed experimental protocol tests whether the psychedelic state arises from the radical pair mechanism (RPM) at the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. The psychedelic ligand N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) itself provides the hyperfine fields driving singlet-triplet oscillations. By synthesizing isotopically labeled variants (13C-DMT and 15N-DMT), nuclear spins are selectively modified without altering molecular geometry, charge, receptor affinity, or metabolic half-life. The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) is negligible for these substitutions (KIE < 1.04 and < 1.03). Any change in psychedelic phenomenology under these substitutions would constitute direct evidence for the magnetic isotope effect (MIE) and thus the RPM in conscious experience.
Scientific Reports
March 9, 2026
Saad M. Alshahrani
Computational modeling shows that a zinc-doped fullerene (ZnC19) is a promising candidate for real-time electrochemical and colorimetric sensing of the psychedelic compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (N,N-DMT). When N,N-DMT adsorbs onto ZnC19, the material's electrical conductivity decreases significantly and its absorption wavelength shifts from 455 nm to 523 nm, with a practical recovery time of about 3.70 × 10⁴ seconds. In contrast, an aluminum-doped fullerene (AlC19) exhibits stronger adsorption energy (-49.57 kcal/mol), making it better suited for capturing and removing N,N-DMT rather than sensing. These findings, based on density functional theory calculations, suggest that doped fullerenes could be tailored for either detection or removal of this substance in medical or forensic settings.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
March 4, 2026
A proposed 2 × 2 factorial protocol crosses isotopes of two noble gases with DMT (a psychedelic) under simultaneous EEG-fMRI to dissociate nuclear spin from anesthetic action. The four gas conditions are 84Kr (spin 0, non-anesthetic), 83Kr (spin 9/2, non-anesthetic), 132Xe (spin 0, sub-anesthetic), and 129Xe (spin 1/2, sub-anesthetic). Each is combined with DMT or placebo, yielding eight sessions per subject. The protocol uses intra-element comparisons to eliminate solubility biases. The primary endpoint is Global Functional Connectivity. Predictions: 83Kr will amplify DMT signatures relative to 84Kr; 132Xe will attenuate them; 129Xe will attenuate less than 132Xe due to spin-mediated neuroprotection.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
March 3, 2026
Maria Niedernhuber
A formulation combining N,N-Dimethyltryptamine and harmine alters the sequences of metastable EEG topography patterns in the cortex, indicating changes in brain activity dynamics.