Frontiers in Psychiatry
October 4, 2021
Maxemiliano V. Vargas, Retsina Meyer, Arabo A. Avanes et al.
162 citations
Psychedelics, part of a broader class called psychoplastogens, promote structural and functional neural plasticity in brain circuits relevant to mental health. They produce lasting therapeutic effects after a single dose and show promise for depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance use disorders. A theoretical framework explains their broad efficacy. Challenges like scalability and hallucinogenic effects may be addressed by non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens. This shift in neuropsychiatry aims to cure mental illness by repairing underlying pathophysiology, not just treating symptoms.
JACS Au
October 5, 2023
Winston L. Chow, Monica A. Gonzalez, Arabo A. Avanes et al.
7 citations
A general chemical synthesis method for tropane alkaloids—compounds with a characteristic 8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane core—enables late-stage structural diversification at positions N8, C3, C6, and C7, which are important for biological activity. The approach constructs the core via aziridination of a cycloheptadiene intermediate followed by vinyl aziridine rearrangement, yielding six tropane alkaloids and several analogues in 5-7 steps. Testing five tropane-containing compounds in cultured cortical neurons for dendritic spine growth—a marker of structural neuroplasticity—suggests that the orientation of the C3 substituent may influence psychoplastogenic effects. This platform supports future structure-activity relationship studies.
August 1, 2015
Stephen J. Chapman, Arabo A. Avanes
3 citations
Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectra were collected for 28 phenylethanamine compounds sold as psychedelics by 15 online vendors in North America and Europe. The samples included 2C and 2C-T series compounds, mescaline analogues, beta-substituted phenylethanamines, and N-substituted variants with NBOMe, NBOH, or NBMD moieties. Spectra for several of these substances had not been previously documented. The work provides a spectroscopic reference to aid identification of these substances.
August 1, 2015
Stephen J. Chapman, Arabo A. Avanes
3 citations
Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectra were collected for 28 purported psychedelic phenylethanamines purchased from 15 unregulated internet vendors in North America and Europe. The samples included members of the 2C and 2C-T series, mescaline analogues, β-substituted phenylethanamines, and N-substituted compounds with NBOMe, NBOH, or NBMD moieties. Several of these spectra had not been previously reported. The study provides a reference database of NMR spectra for these substances, enabling comparison and identification of compounds sold on the grey market.