The Bright Side of Psychedelics: Latest Advances and Challenges in Neuropharmacology
The need to identify effective therapies for the treatment of psychiatric disorders is a particularly important issue in modern societies. In addition, difficulties in finding new drugs have led pharmacologists to review and re-evaluate some past molecules, including psychedelics. For several years...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/2/1329 |
| _version_ | 1797441417813950464 |
|---|---|
| author | Andrea Mastinu Margrate Anyanwu Marinella Carone Giulia Abate Sara Anna Bonini Gregorio Peron Emanuela Tirelli Mariachiara Pucci Giovanni Ribaudo Erika Oselladore Marika Premoli Alessandra Gianoncelli Daniela Letizia Uberti Maurizio Memo |
| author_facet | Andrea Mastinu Margrate Anyanwu Marinella Carone Giulia Abate Sara Anna Bonini Gregorio Peron Emanuela Tirelli Mariachiara Pucci Giovanni Ribaudo Erika Oselladore Marika Premoli Alessandra Gianoncelli Daniela Letizia Uberti Maurizio Memo |
| author_sort | Andrea Mastinu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The need to identify effective therapies for the treatment of psychiatric disorders is a particularly important issue in modern societies. In addition, difficulties in finding new drugs have led pharmacologists to review and re-evaluate some past molecules, including psychedelics. For several years there has been growing interest among psychotherapists in psilocybin or lysergic acid diethylamide for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, of depression, or of post-traumatic stress disorder, although results are not always clear and definitive. In fact, the mechanisms of action of psychedelics are not yet fully understood and some molecular aspects have yet to be well defined. Thus, this review aims to summarize the ethnobotanical uses of the best-known psychedelic plants and the pharmacological mechanisms of the main active ingredients they contain. Furthermore, an up-to-date overview of structural and computational studies performed to evaluate the affinity and binding modes to biologically relevant receptors of ibogaine, mescaline, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, psilocin, and lysergic acid diethylamide is presented. Finally, the most recent clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of psychedelic molecules in some psychiatric disorders are discussed and compared with drugs already used in therapy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:22:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63b775e464494cf4817c250aa9d3e1a3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:22:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-63b775e464494cf4817c250aa9d3e1a32023-11-30T22:38:43ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672023-01-01242132910.3390/ijms24021329The Bright Side of Psychedelics: Latest Advances and Challenges in NeuropharmacologyAndrea Mastinu0Margrate Anyanwu1Marinella Carone2Giulia Abate3Sara Anna Bonini4Gregorio Peron5Emanuela Tirelli6Mariachiara Pucci7Giovanni Ribaudo8Erika Oselladore9Marika Premoli10Alessandra Gianoncelli11Daniela Letizia Uberti12Maurizio Memo13Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, ItalyThe need to identify effective therapies for the treatment of psychiatric disorders is a particularly important issue in modern societies. In addition, difficulties in finding new drugs have led pharmacologists to review and re-evaluate some past molecules, including psychedelics. For several years there has been growing interest among psychotherapists in psilocybin or lysergic acid diethylamide for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, of depression, or of post-traumatic stress disorder, although results are not always clear and definitive. In fact, the mechanisms of action of psychedelics are not yet fully understood and some molecular aspects have yet to be well defined. Thus, this review aims to summarize the ethnobotanical uses of the best-known psychedelic plants and the pharmacological mechanisms of the main active ingredients they contain. Furthermore, an up-to-date overview of structural and computational studies performed to evaluate the affinity and binding modes to biologically relevant receptors of ibogaine, mescaline, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, psilocin, and lysergic acid diethylamide is presented. Finally, the most recent clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of psychedelic molecules in some psychiatric disorders are discussed and compared with drugs already used in therapy.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/2/1329psychedelicsibogainemescalineN,N-dimethyltryptaminepsilocybinpsilocin |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Mastinu Margrate Anyanwu Marinella Carone Giulia Abate Sara Anna Bonini Gregorio Peron Emanuela Tirelli Mariachiara Pucci Giovanni Ribaudo Erika Oselladore Marika Premoli Alessandra Gianoncelli Daniela Letizia Uberti Maurizio Memo The Bright Side of Psychedelics: Latest Advances and Challenges in Neuropharmacology International Journal of Molecular Sciences psychedelics ibogaine mescaline N,N-dimethyltryptamine psilocybin psilocin |
| title | The Bright Side of Psychedelics: Latest Advances and Challenges in Neuropharmacology |
| title_full | The Bright Side of Psychedelics: Latest Advances and Challenges in Neuropharmacology |
| title_fullStr | The Bright Side of Psychedelics: Latest Advances and Challenges in Neuropharmacology |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Bright Side of Psychedelics: Latest Advances and Challenges in Neuropharmacology |
| title_short | The Bright Side of Psychedelics: Latest Advances and Challenges in Neuropharmacology |
| title_sort | bright side of psychedelics latest advances and challenges in neuropharmacology |
| topic | psychedelics ibogaine mescaline N,N-dimethyltryptamine psilocybin psilocin |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/2/1329 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andreamastinu thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT margrateanyanwu thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT marinellacarone thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT giuliaabate thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT saraannabonini thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT gregorioperon thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT emanuelatirelli thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT mariachiarapucci thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT giovanniribaudo thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT erikaoselladore thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT marikapremoli thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT alessandragianoncelli thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT danielaletiziauberti thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT mauriziomemo thebrightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT andreamastinu brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT margrateanyanwu brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT marinellacarone brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT giuliaabate brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT saraannabonini brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT gregorioperon brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT emanuelatirelli brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT mariachiarapucci brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT giovanniribaudo brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT erikaoselladore brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT marikapremoli brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT alessandragianoncelli brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT danielaletiziauberti brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology AT mauriziomemo brightsideofpsychedelicslatestadvancesandchallengesinneuropharmacology |