Translational psychiatry
September 12, 2024
Christopher R Nicholas, Matthew I Banks, Richard C Lennertz et al.
10 citations
Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, can relieve symptoms in several psychiatric disorders and improve well-being, but it was unclear whether these benefits arise during the acute experience or depend on later memory of it. In 8 healthy participants, psilocybin (25 mg) was co-administered with the amnestic benzodiazepine midazolam at a dose that allowed a conscious psychedelic experience while partially impairing memory for it. Higher midazolam doses and greater memory impairment tended to associate with lower salience, insight, and well-being from psilocybin. These results suggest memory plays a role in therapeutically relevant behavioral effects of psilocybin.
European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences
August 1, 2024
Christopher G Witowski, Mika R Hess, Nate T Jones et al.
7 citations
A transdermal patch for delivering N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) at low, non-hallucinogenic doses was developed and tested in mice. The patch provided consistent, extended drug release, achieving plasma levels below 60 ng/mL. Compared to intravenous administration, the patch extended DMT's half-life by 20-fold and achieved 77% bioavailability. Female and male mice showed notable differences during IV dosing, but transdermal delivery produced steady levels. A head twitch assay indicated no hallucinogenic effects at these low plasma concentrations. The patch could offer a non-invasive, outpatient treatment option for conditions where high, bolus doses are unnecessary.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
September 1, 2024
Zarmeen Zahid, Ziyad W Sultan, Bryan M Krause et al.
5 citations
In mice, the serotonergic psychedelic DOI, but not ketamine, enhanced neural plasticity and metaplasticity in the hippocampus 24 hours after a single dose. Brain slices from DOI-treated animals showed stronger synaptic responses and short-term potentiation compared to saline-treated controls, with evidence that these effects involve a presynaptic mechanism. Ketamine did not produce similar changes. These findings suggest that the therapeutic benefits of serotonergic psychedelics may be supported by a window of heightened neural plasticity, whereas ketamine's effects may rely on different mechanisms.
Scientific reports
July 21, 2025
Suhjung Janet Lee, Claudia Epland, Noah Kaitz et al.
1 citation
Religious or spiritual self-identity strongly predicts how people with prior psychedelic interests react to art displayed in clinical dosing environments, while natural themes in art appeal broadly across groups. A mixed-methods study surveyed psychedelic society members and a non-psychedelic community group, using multivariate regression and focus groups. Spiritual/religious connectivity was the dominant factor influencing art reactions among psychedelic-interested participants, but this link was weaker in the general community group. Natural elements in art consistently corresponded with positive responses in both groups. The findings suggest that incorporating nature-themed art may help create welcoming settings for diverse populations in psychedelic therapy contexts.
Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry
January 17, 2026
Uriel Matthew Enriquez, Natalie M González Velázquez, Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain et al.
Monoclonal antibodies were developed that specifically recognize (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine, a metabolite of ketamine linked to rapid antidepressant effects. An immunogenic bioconjugate was designed by attaching a 6-aminohexanoic acid linker to the pharmacophore and coupling it to a carrier protein. Mice immunized with this conjugate produced equivalent antibody titers to a racemic comparator. Hybridoma screening yielded the monoclonal antibody 6F11-HC1-LC2, which showed strong binding to (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine but no response to the (2S,6S) enantiomer in competitive ELISA. Surface plasmon resonance revealed sub-nanomolar affinity (0.4 nM) for (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine-BSA conjugates and over 150-fold selectivity over ketamine-BSA conjugates. These antibodies can be used in future studies to investigate the roles of hydroxynorketamine enantiomers in ketamine's antidepressant effects.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
September 30, 2025
Ya'El Courtney, Josephine M Anderson, Christian Lagares-Linares et al.
preprint
In mice, the psychedelic drug LSD crosses the placenta and enters embryonic cerebrospinal fluid within minutes. A single dose during pregnancy alters the organization of the cerebral cortex in the offspring, and repeated doses shift the balance of neuron types and increase microglia. Adult offspring, especially males, show reduced prepulse inhibition and rotational stereotypy. These findings identify a mechanism by which maternal psychedelic exposure can lead to lasting changes in brain development and behavior.