ACS chemical neuroscience
May 6, 2026
Maxemiliano V Vargas, Cassandra J Hatzipantelis, Lee E Dunlap et al.
A safer analogue of MDMA, called R-MDDMA, shows promise for treating PTSD and depression without the abuse potential of MDMA. Unlike MDMA, R-MDDMA does not activate 5-HT2B receptors, induce serotonin release, cause head-twitch responses, affect body temperature, or increase locomotion at therapeutic doses. However, it still promotes structural neuroplasticity in cortical neurons, facilitates fear extinction learning, and produces sustained antidepressant-like effects. These results suggest that R-MDDMA might be a safer MDMA analogue with similar therapeutic properties.
ACS chemical neuroscience
February 18, 2026
Tallan Black, Rhiannon E Boseley, Amanda Quirk et al.
Prenatal exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main intoxicating compound in cannabis, alters brain chemistry in offspring. Using X-ray fluorescence imaging and Fourier transform infrared spectromicroscopy on rat brains, the study found that THC-exposed offspring had decreased copper concentrations in the corpus callosum and changes in lipid structure, including increased methylene, lipid esters, phosphate, protein, and unsaturation levels, particularly in the hippocampus. Biochemical changes were modest, with increased structural lipid changes in the corpus callosum and increased protein in the lateral ventricle. These findings demonstrate that gestational THC induces subtle but measurable biomolecular alterations in the developing brain.
ACS chemical neuroscience
October 15, 2025
Cassandra J Hatzipantelis, Lindsay P Cameron, Min Liu et al.
A new genetic mouse model lacking the enzyme indolethylamine N-methyltransferase (INMT) shows that INMT is not required for the production of endogenous psychedelics, suggesting alternative biosynthetic pathways exist in rodents. INMT knockout mice had no major abnormalities in reproduction or growth but did exhibit altered behaviors across several domains. The study also describes highly sensitive mass spectrometry methods for quantifying endogenous psychedelics in mice. These findings challenge the assumption that INMT is the primary enzyme for endogenous psychedelic production and open new questions about the role of these compounds in health and disease.