Editorial: Beyond psilocybin: exploring the clinical potential of alternative and novel psychedelics.
Front Psychiatry April 23, 2025 Martin L. Williams, Deborah Rudin, Yasmin Schmid et al.
Psilocybin is one of many compounds that act as agonists of serotonin receptors and produce psychedelic effects. Beyond psilocybin, other classic psychedelics such as mescaline, N,N-DMT, and 5-MeO-DMT, along with novel compounds called psychoplastogens, show promise for treating mental health conditions like depression, PTSD, and anxiety in palliative care. This research topic includes seven articles: case reports on ketamine for depression and 5-MeO-DMT for PTSD; a review of clavine alkaloids; Phase 1 trials of an ayahuasca analog and a novel DMT formulation; a preclinical study of psilacetin; and a discussion of psychedelics for end-of-life distress. The field is expanding beyond psilocybin to explore a wider range of compounds.