Wolfgang H. Sommer - Mindscape Collective

Papers

Psilocybin targets a common molecular mechanism for cognitive impairment and increased craving in alcoholism

Science Advances November 17, 2021 Marcus W. Meinhardt, Simone Pfarr, Grégory Fouquet et al. 92 citations

Psilocybin restores deficits in the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) caused by alcohol, which leads to the reversal of pathological behaviors associated with alcoholism.

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2399 Alcohol use disorder Prefrontal cortex Cognitive flexibility Neuroscience +8

Psychedelic Targeting of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 2 and Its Implications for the Treatment of Alcoholism

Cells March 22, 2023 Kevin Domanegg, Wolfgang H. Sommer, Marcus W. Meinhardt 23 citations

Alcohol use disorders remain a major public health problem, and current medications have limited success. Recent clinical trials suggest that psychedelics, especially psilocybin, combined with psychotherapy can reduce heavy drinking. This review connects two lines of research: how addiction alters metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGlu2) function, and how psychedelics act through serotonin 2A receptors (2AR) to induce gene expression and neuroplasticity. Evidence indicates that mGlu2 and 2AR can regulate each other's signaling, either through crosstalk or by forming a 2AR-mGlu2 heteromer, and that 2AR activation can epigenetically modulate mGlu2 expression. The authors propose that targeting these pathways could restore mGlu2 function in AUD patients and reduce relapse risk.

DOI: 10.3390/cells12060963 Addiction Neuroscience Metabotropic glutamate receptor Metabotropic receptor +4