Meghan Good, Tiffanie Benway, Zelah Joel et al.
4 citations
DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is being developed as a treatment for major depressive disorder. In a phase I trial, 24 healthy adults received escalating intravenous doses of DMT fumarate (SPL026) that were safe and well-tolerated. DMT exposure increased proportionally with dose over the 9–21.5 mg range. Peak plasma concentration occurred at about 10 minutes, and the mean elimination half-life was 9–12 minutes. In vitro experiments showed that DMT is cleared by monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) and modified by the enzymes CYP2D6 and CYP2C19. The unbound fraction of DMT in plasma was approximately 70%. These findings support the development of DMT infusion regimens for treating major depressive disorder.
Zhang Ming
A rapid and straightforward method for extracting the psychedelic compound DMT from the inner bark of Mimosa tenuiflora was developed, yielding a reference chemical suitable for chromatography. The isolated compound's identity was confirmed through mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, melting-point analysis, and FTIR, with results matching earlier reports. UV absorption spectrometry indicated purity above 95% compared to a standard tryptamine reference. Creating accessible analytical standards can support controlled scientific research, improve forensic and pharmaceutical drug identification and quality control, and inform regulatory policies.
Burton J. Tabaac, Kenneth Shinozuka, Anne Weisman et al.
preprint
5-MeO-DMT, a psychedelic found in toad venom and some plants, shows rapid antidepressant effects in early clinical trials. A Phase 2b trial reported that 57.5% of participants with treatment-resistant depression achieved remission within eight days. Other Phase 2a and 2b trials suggest it may reduce depressive symptoms more effectively than existing treatments like SSRIs. The substance appears low-risk in controlled settings, though most studies are small and only two double-blind randomized controlled trials have been conducted in clinical populations. Long-term effects need further study, and its possible link to near-death experiences remains debated.
Kenneth Shinozuka, Burton J. Tabaac, Alejandro Arenas et al.
preprint
DMT, the psychedelic in ayahuasca, is being studied for depression. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, ayahuasca led to remission in 36% of patients with treatment-resistant depression within one week. A Phase IIa trial reported that 57% of patients with major depressive disorder experienced remission 12 weeks after a single dose of DMT. DMT is naturally produced in the body, but likely at insignificant levels. The idea that DMT is released during death remains unproven. Ayahuasca can cause temporary vomiting but appears generally safe. More research is needed on DMT's therapeutic and biological roles.
Experimental neurology
September 1, 2026
Javier Calleja-Conde, Víctor Echeverry-Alzate, Marina Sanz-Sancristóbal et al.
In a preclinical model of Parkinson's disease, the compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), the main psychoactive ingredient in ayahuasca, reduced neuroinflammation and preserved neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. Treated animals also showed improvements in behavior. These results suggest DMT may have disease-modifying potential for Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by loss of dopaminergic neurons and chronic inflammation, for which current treatments only relieve symptoms.
Visual Studies
July 16, 2026
Orsolya Bajusz
Visionary art, influenced by a shift toward (hyper)spatial perspectives, breaks from postmodernism by creating portals to other ontological realms and non-human visual paradigms rather than remixing cultural symbols. This paper proposes a methodology for analyzing visionary images from N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) use and Artificial Intelligence (AI) generation, focusing on the agency of non-human entities and dimensions. It shifts analysis from semiotics and representation to the topology of non-human spaces, examining how the constellation of agency between humans and non-humans is changing. The paper advocates for visual studies to accommodate these new epistemics and take such images seriously.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
July 15, 2026
Rafał Marecki, Wiktoria Zaniewska, Adam Hamed et al.
Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, mescaline, and DOI work primarily by activating 5-HT2A receptors, causing widespread brain and behavior changes relevant to psychiatric research. Evidence from rodent studies shows that these effects differ by sex across pharmacokinetics, physiology, neuroplasticity, behavior, and disease models. Females often show stronger or qualitatively distinct behavioral responses, including head twitch, locomotor activity, prepulse inhibition, stress reactivity, and social behavior, with ovarian cycle phase further modulating some effects. Disease model studies also find sex-dependent outcomes, such as psilocybin's effects on alcohol consumption and DMT microdosing on mood and neuroplasticity. The review concludes that sex is a critical biological variable shaping psychedelic effects in rodents, and integrating sex-specific analyses is essential for improving translational validity and guiding clinical applications.
Psychopharmacology
July 14, 2026
Helena D Aicher, Joëlle Dornbierer, Luzia Caflisch et al.
A combination of harmine and DMT, the active ingredients in ayahuasca, reduces feelings of embarrassment and shame in healthy men. In a randomized trial with 28 participants, those who received the combination reported significantly less embarrassment when listening to recordings of their own singing compared to those who received a placebo. The treatment also lowered overall shame scores. Harmine alone did not produce these effects. The findings suggest that this compound may help treat psychiatric disorders where negative self-focused emotions play a key role.
Figshare
July 10, 2026
José Alexandre Salerno, Elizabeth R. Dominguez, Karina Karmirian et al.
A brief 24-hour exposure to the serotonergic psychedelic DMT increases proliferation of human neural stem cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. The effect was concentration-dependent, with half-maximal effect at 59.7 nM. DMT treatment also altered trophic gene expression, decreasing neurotrophin-3 while increasing nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcripts and intracellular BDNF protein. After DMT was removed, the primed stem cells formed larger neurospheres, with progenitor and early neuronal marker composition matching controls by day 10. These findings demonstrate that brief DMT exposure engages proliferative and neurotrophin-associated responses in human neural stem cells at concentrations consistent with those reported for DMT-induced plasticity in other systems.
ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters
July 10, 2026
Anna C. Renner, Robert B. Kargbo
The psychedelic therapeutics field is moving beyond classical hallucinogens to integrated treatment platforms that combine optimized pharmacology, drug delivery, and clinical implementation. Recent patent applications describe selective 5-HT2A receptor activators, precision aerosol delivery technologies for psychedelic compounds, and structured 5-MeO-DMT treatment regimens for depression. These innovations represent a convergence toward scalable, safer, and clinically practical neuropsychiatric therapies that may reshape the future of serotonergic medicine.