by Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have provided new insights into the intricate ways psychedelic interact with serotonin receptors to potentially bring about therapeutic advantages for individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety.
In a groundbreaking study published on May 8 in the prestigious journal Nature, the team revealed that certain psychedelic substances, such as LSD and psilocybin, engage with an underestimated serotonin receptor family member in the brain called 5-HT1A to induce therapeutic benefits in animal models.
First author Audrey Warren, a Ph.D. candidate at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Icahn Mount Sinai, explained that psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin have recently entered clinical trials with promising early results. However, Generic Drugs the exact molecular mechanisms underlying their therapeutic effects remain elusive.
Warren and her colleagues’ research marks the first time that scientists have identified how serotonin receptors like 5-HT1A might regulate the subjective experiences associated with psychedelic use and contribute significantly to their observed clinical benefits.
Although LSD and 5-MeO-DMT, a psychedelic found in the secretions of the Colorado River Toad, are known to elicit their hallucinogenic effects through the serotonin receptor 5-HT2A, these substances also activate 5-HT1A, a well-established therapeutic target for treating depression and anxiety. By shedding light on this previously overlooked interaction, the researchers’ findings could pave the way for a better understanding of psychedelics’ therapeutic potential and their mechanisms of action.
