ISSN 2375-2548
4 papers in the library · 158 citations · publishing 2021-2026
Science Advances November 17, 2021 Marcus W. Meinhardt, Simone Pfarr, Grégory Fouquet et al. 92 citations
Psilocybin restores deficits in the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) caused by alcohol, which leads to the reversal of pathological behaviors associated with alcoholism.
Science Advances June 14, 2023 Leor Roseman, Christopher Timmermann, Daniel Golkowski et al. 65 citations
The effects of mind-altering drugs on brain function arise from complex interactions with multiple neurotransmitter systems, not just one. By linking the distribution of 19 neurotransmitter receptors and transporters (measured with PET) to changes in functional connectivity (measured with fMRI) caused by 10 drugs—anesthetics (propofol, sevoflurane, ketamine), psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, DMT, ayahuasca), and others (MDMA, modafinil, methylphenidate)—the work shows a many-to-many mapping between drug effects and neurotransmitter systems. The drugs' impacts follow hierarchical gradients of brain structure and function, and regional susceptibility to drug-induced changes mirrors susceptibility to structural alterations from brain disorders.
Science Advances April 1, 2026 1 citation
A biosynthetic pathway for dimethyltryptamine (DMT) was reconstructed in a plant assay, along with the full pathways of five natural psychedelics: psilocin, psilocybin, DMT, bufotenin, and 5-methoxy-DMT. Halogenated analogs of these molecules, which do not occur naturally and may have therapeutic potential for psychiatric conditions, were also engineered. By blending catalytic functions from different organisms and using rational protein design to create mutant enzymes, the production of indolethylamine components in plants became substantially more efficient. This platform enables concurrent biosynthesis and diversification of psychoactive indolethylamines.
Science Advances May 8, 2026 Max Levinson, Alice Waitt, Katharina Duecker et al.
Transitions in conscious visual perception involve two distinct neural mechanisms: boundary fading in visual cortex, marked by increased excitability and reduced alpha-band activity indicating a shift in excitation-inhibition balance, and higher-order perceptual monitoring in motor cortex, reflected by decreased high-alpha and beta-band activity. Microsaccadic eye movements, which delay the illusion, selectively reset both processes. These findings support a hierarchical framework where visual and motor systems jointly shape changes in conscious experience.