DNA methylation and the opposing NMDAR dysfunction in schizophrenia and major depression disorders: a converging model for the therapeutic effects of psychedelic compounds in the treatment of psychiatric illness.
Molecular psychiatry November 1, 2023 L. Taylor Flynn, Wen-Jun Gao 14 citations
Psychedelic compounds are being studied as potential treatments for psychiatric conditions, but their mechanism of action is not well understood. This review proposes that changes in DNA methylation, a form of epigenetic regulation, may underlie the therapeutic effects of psychedelics. The authors focus on the N-methyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), which is important for synaptic plasticity and is known to be dysfunctional in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. They review evidence linking abnormal DNA methylation to NMDAR dysfunction in these disorders and present a model suggesting that psychedelics may act through epigenetic mechanisms to provide therapeutic benefits.