Present and future of metabolic and metabolomics studies focused on classical psychedelics in humans
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy December 31, 2023 Fabregat-safont, David, Gomez-gomez, Alex, Madrid-gambin, Francisco et al.
Classical psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and DMT are being reconsidered for treating mental health disorders, but more human research is needed on their biological effects, mechanisms, and metabolism. Metabolic studies have robustly established the main breakdown products of these drugs in humans. However, metabolomics—which maps broader metabolic changes—remains underexplored. This review of human studies finds that while the metabolites of classical psychedelics are well characterized, the wider metabolic alterations they induce require further investigation. Integrating metabolomics with pharmacokinetics could reveal how psychedelics interact with multiple molecular targets, potentially advancing understanding of their therapeutic roles.