Psilocibin: Current Evidence, Safety Signals, and Challenges in Assessing Potential Multi-Organ Effects
Biomedicines July 6, 2026 Kasper Buczma, Katarzyna Kamińska, Kaja Kasarełło et al.
Psilocybin, a serotonergic hallucinogen, shows therapeutic promise for treatment-resistant depression, but its multi-organ safety profile remains unclear. This narrative review of preclinical studies, clinical data, and case reports found limited and heterogeneous evidence, with rare adverse events often confounded by polysubstance use and uncertain dosing. Biologically plausible mechanisms via serotonergic receptor activation warrant further investigation, yet controlled clinical data do not consistently indicate intrinsic multi-organ toxicity. The review highlights critical gaps in understanding psilocybin's organ-specific safety and calls for systematic evaluation.