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Urszula Kozłowska

Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences

2 papers in the library · 105 citations · publishing 2021

Papers

From psychiatry to neurology: Psychedelics as prospective therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders

Journal of Neurochemistry September 14, 2021 Urszula Kozłowska, Charles D. Nichols, Kalina Wiatr et al. 78 citations

Psychedelic tryptamines like psilocybin show promise for treating major depressive disorder (MDD) after a single dose, with two Phase III trials receiving FDA Breakthrough Therapy status. Beyond MDD and substance use disorders, rodent studies suggest psychedelics may also help treat or prevent brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease. Preclinical evidence indicates they can induce neuroplasticity, synaptogenesis, and neural progenitor cell proliferation, and act as immunomodulators by reducing proinflammatory biomarkers like IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. The exact molecular mechanisms and cellular interactions underlying these therapeutic effects remain unknown.

DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15509 Psilocybin Major depressive disorder Hallucinogen Neuroscience +5

The DMT and Psilocin Treatment Changes CD11b+ Activated Microglia Immunological Phenotype

bioRxiv Preprint Server March 7, 2021 Urszula Kozłowska, Aleksandra Klimczak, Kalina Wiatr et al. 27 citations preprint

Two classic psychedelics, DMT and psilocin, can alter the behavior of microglia—the brain's immune cells—by reducing levels of immune response markers (TLR4, p65, CD80) and increasing the neuroprotective receptor TREM2. Psilocin also protected neurons in a lab model by reducing microglial phagocytosis. The findings suggest that psychedelics or their analogs may be candidates for treating neurological disorders where inflammation and microglia play a key role.

DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.07.434103 Full text