Bedside to bench: the outlook for psychedelic research
Frontiers in Pharmacology October 2, 2023 Victor P Acero, Emily S Cribas, Kevin D Browne et al. 20 citations
Psychedelic compounds show promise for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and treatment-resistant depression, but their full biological effects and mechanisms are not yet established. Most research has focused on psychological mechanisms, often overlooking non-psychological modes of action. Psychedelics may work through multiple mechanisms, including modulation of brain network activity, neuronal plasticity, neuroendocrine function, glial cell regulation, epigenetic processes, and the gut-brain axis. This review advocates for a multi-faceted approach using computational, cellular, and animal models to understand physiological effects and explore clinical applications beyond psychiatric disorders, such as brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and gut-brain axis dysfunction.