ACS Chemical Neuroscience
May 12, 2020
Kodye L. Abbott, Kristina Gill, Patrick Flannery et al.
7 citations
Regulations intended to prevent harm and addiction from substances like cannabis, MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin also create major barriers for scientists trying to study these drugs. The authors argue that modifying current drug scheduling to reclassify illicit substances would allow extensive testing in research settings, potentially advancing life-saving research.
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
January 2, 2026
1 citation
The subjective effects that define psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and DOI are linked to activation of the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR), but what differentiates psychedelic from nonpsychedelic 5-HT2AR agonists is unclear. A new ex vivo platform was developed to measure drug-mediated activation of the Gq/11 pathway in mouse brain tissue by tracking inositol monophosphate (IP1) levels. In the frontal cortex of mice, DOI produced time-bound, dose-dependent IP1 increases that correlated with head twitch responses. LSD elevated IP1, while lisuride did not, consistent with their respective psychedelic and nonpsychedelic natures. MDMA also increased IP1, attributed to serotonin release, unlike the serotonin precursor 5-HTP or fluoxetine. This method provides mechanistic insights into psychedelic action and Gq/11-coupled receptors.
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
July 24, 2025
Anjian Yang, Xinyou Lv, Hongshuang Wang et al.
1 citation
This viewpoint proposes that mysticism and fundamentalism can be understood as brain network disorders, where rigid neural patterns underlie inflexible belief systems. Psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, and DMT may disrupt these patterns, potentially increasing cognitive flexibility and challenging dogmatic thinking. The authors suggest this modulation could have therapeutic applications for extremism and certain mental health conditions, though the argument remains theoretical and not empirically tested.
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
May 27, 2026
Grant C. Glatfelter, Serena S. Schalk, Donna Walther et al.
Tryptamine psychedelics produce their effects mainly by activating serotonin 2A receptors, but many also affect other targets. 4-MeO-MiPT, a compound that both activates 5-HT2A receptors and blocks the serotonin transporter (SERT), produces blunted psychedelic effects in humans. In mice, 4-MeO-MiPT and its analogs with stronger SERT blockade showed fewer head twitch responses (a proxy for psychedelic-like effects) than their 4-hydroxy counterparts. Pretreating mice with the SERT inhibitor fluoxetine reduced head twitch responses from 4-hydroxy compounds to levels seen with the 4-methoxy analogs. The findings suggest that dual 5-HT2A/SERT ligands may have therapeutic potential with reduced acute psychedelic effects.
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
March 3, 2026
Samuel E. Williamson, Elise K. Burkhartzmeyer, Michael T. Faley et al.
To support ongoing clinical trials, the major human metabolites of psilocybin—psilocin-O-glucuronide and 4-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (4-HIAA)—along with putative minor metabolites and several deuterium-labeled derivatives, were synthesized on a preparative scale. When assayed for engagement at seven serotonin receptor subtypes using a BRET-based binding assay, only psilocin exhibited any discernible binding. Given the high cost and challenging preparation of these compounds, the work provides a comprehensive guide for researchers to access these resources, advancing both basic and clinical research with psilocybin and its metabolites.
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
February 18, 2026
Vito F. Palmisano, Micaela Vidal−sánchez, Juan J. Nogueira
Bulky substitutions on the N-benzyl ring of 25CN-NBx compounds cause a significant shift in the position of W336, a key toggle switch residue in the 5-HT2A receptor. This shift influences receptor activation and is thought to play a crucial role in mediating psychedelic signaling. Potential of mean force calculations along the toggle switch's dihedral angle confirm this result. End-state free energy calculations show that 25CN-NB-2-OH-3-Me and 25CN-NB-2-OH-5-MeO have the highest and lowest affinities, respectively, for the receptor. When W336 adopts its negative dihedral state, it establishes stronger van der Waals interactions with residues F332 and I163, key players in receptor activation. This framework can extend to other G protein-coupled receptors where the toggle switch is central to signal activation.
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
December 2, 2025
Nina Kastner, Núria Nadal‐gratacós, Selina Hemmer et al.
Replacing the 1,3-benzodioxole group in MDMA (ecstasy) with a 1,3-benzoxathiole yields two analogues, SDA and SDMA, that interact with monoamine transporters similarly to MDMA but with key differences. SDA and SDMA inhibit dopamine and norepinephrine transporters more potently than MDMA and act as partial releasers at serotonin and dopamine transporters. Metabolism studies show SDA and SDMA are cleared faster, while MDMA and MDA degrade only weakly. In mice, SDMA does not produce rewarding effects, unlike MDMA, and SDA only shows a preference for the drug-paired compartment at the lowest dose. SDMA shares similar locomotor and hyperthermic profiles with MDMA, whereas SDA induces increased hyperlocomotion and more sustained hyperthermia. SDMA may be a safer candidate for further study.