Psychedelics in Multiple Sclerosis: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Prospects for Neuroimmune Modulation and Repair.
Cells November 26, 2025 Ivan Anchesi, Maria Francesca Astorino, Ivana Raffaele et al. 1 citation
Psychedelic compounds that activate the 5-HT2A receptor might help treat multiple sclerosis by both calming harmful inflammation and promoting repair in the brain and spinal cord. Current MS drugs work on the immune system but do little to fix damage inside the central nervous system. Psychedelics appear to reduce pro-inflammatory signals from glial cells while increasing factors that support nerve cell health and myelin repair. However, most evidence comes from studies of general inflammation, not autoimmune disease, so it is unclear if these effects will work for MS. Major obstacles include heart and mental health risks, plus legal and ethical barriers. The authors suggest that non-hallucinogenic drugs inspired by psychedelics, which activate the same receptor without the mind-altering effects, may be a more practical path forward.