The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin
The psychedelic effects of some plants and fungi have been known and deliberately exploited by humans for thousands of years. Fungi, particularly mushrooms, are the principal source of naturally occurring psychedelics. The mushroom extract, psilocybin has historically been used as a psychedelic agen...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/10/2948 |
| _version_ | 1797533959143292928 |
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| author | Henry Lowe Ngeh Toyang Blair Steele Henkel Valentine Justin Grant Amza Ali Wilfred Ngwa Lorenzo Gordon |
| author_facet | Henry Lowe Ngeh Toyang Blair Steele Henkel Valentine Justin Grant Amza Ali Wilfred Ngwa Lorenzo Gordon |
| author_sort | Henry Lowe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The psychedelic effects of some plants and fungi have been known and deliberately exploited by humans for thousands of years. Fungi, particularly mushrooms, are the principal source of naturally occurring psychedelics. The mushroom extract, psilocybin has historically been used as a psychedelic agent for religious and spiritual ceremonies, as well as a therapeutic option for neuropsychiatric conditions. Psychedelic use was largely associated with the “hippie” counterculture movement, which, in turn, resulted in a growing, and still lingering, negative stigmatization for psychedelics. As a result, in 1970, the U.S. government rescheduled psychedelics as Schedule 1 drugs, ultimately ending scientific research on psychedelics. This prohibition on psychedelic drug research significantly delayed advances in medical knowledge on the therapeutic uses of agents such as psilocybin. A 2004 pilot study from the University of California, Los Angeles, exploring the potential of psilocybin treatment in patients with advanced-stage cancer managed to reignite interest and significantly renewed efforts in psilocybin research, heralding a new age in exploration for psychedelic therapy. Since then, significant advances have been made in characterizing the chemical properties of psilocybin as well as its therapeutic uses. This review will explore the potential of psilocybin in the treatment of neuropsychiatry-related conditions, examining recent advances as well as current research. This is not a systematic review. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:23:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8cf97718ca6941dba41c9b022dc42fa8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:23:03Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-8cf97718ca6941dba41c9b022dc42fa82023-11-21T19:54:38ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492021-05-012610294810.3390/molecules26102948The Therapeutic Potential of PsilocybinHenry Lowe0Ngeh Toyang1Blair Steele2Henkel Valentine3Justin Grant4Amza Ali5Wilfred Ngwa6Lorenzo Gordon7Biotech R & D Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona 99999, JamaicaVilotos Pharmaceuticals Inc., Baltimore, MD 21202, USABiotech R & D Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona 99999, JamaicaBiotech R & D Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona 99999, JamaicaBiotech R & D Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona 99999, JamaicaBiotech R & D Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona 99999, JamaicaBrigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USACaribbean School of Medical Sciences, Kingston 99999, JamaicaThe psychedelic effects of some plants and fungi have been known and deliberately exploited by humans for thousands of years. Fungi, particularly mushrooms, are the principal source of naturally occurring psychedelics. The mushroom extract, psilocybin has historically been used as a psychedelic agent for religious and spiritual ceremonies, as well as a therapeutic option for neuropsychiatric conditions. Psychedelic use was largely associated with the “hippie” counterculture movement, which, in turn, resulted in a growing, and still lingering, negative stigmatization for psychedelics. As a result, in 1970, the U.S. government rescheduled psychedelics as Schedule 1 drugs, ultimately ending scientific research on psychedelics. This prohibition on psychedelic drug research significantly delayed advances in medical knowledge on the therapeutic uses of agents such as psilocybin. A 2004 pilot study from the University of California, Los Angeles, exploring the potential of psilocybin treatment in patients with advanced-stage cancer managed to reignite interest and significantly renewed efforts in psilocybin research, heralding a new age in exploration for psychedelic therapy. Since then, significant advances have been made in characterizing the chemical properties of psilocybin as well as its therapeutic uses. This review will explore the potential of psilocybin in the treatment of neuropsychiatry-related conditions, examining recent advances as well as current research. This is not a systematic review.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/10/2948magic mushroomspsilocybinpsychedelicneuropharmaceuticalsneurotherapeuticsaddiction |
| spellingShingle | Henry Lowe Ngeh Toyang Blair Steele Henkel Valentine Justin Grant Amza Ali Wilfred Ngwa Lorenzo Gordon The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin Molecules magic mushrooms psilocybin psychedelic neuropharmaceuticals neurotherapeutics addiction |
| title | The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin |
| title_full | The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin |
| title_fullStr | The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin |
| title_short | The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin |
| title_sort | therapeutic potential of psilocybin |
| topic | magic mushrooms psilocybin psychedelic neuropharmaceuticals neurotherapeutics addiction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/10/2948 |
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