Psilocybin: from ancient magic to modern medicine
This paper (2020) reviews the history of psilocybin from its use by indigenous cultures in South America to the modern clinical studies of today.
Abstract
Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is an indole-based secondary metabolite produced by numerous species of mushrooms. South American Aztec Indians referred to them as teonanacatl, meaning god's flesh, and they were used in religious and healing rituals. Spanish missionaries in the 1500s attempted to destroy all records and evidence of the use of these mushrooms. Nevertheless, a 16th century Spanish Franciscan friar and historian mentioned teonanacatl in his extensive writings, intriguing 20th century ethnopharmacologists and leading to a decades-long search for the identity of teonanacatl. Their search ultimately led to a 1957 photo-essay in a popular magazine, describing for the Western world the use of these mushrooms. Specimens were ultimately obtained, and their active principle identified and chemically synthesized. In the past 10-15 years several FDA-approved clinical studies have indicated potential medical value for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in treating depression, anxiety, and certain addictions. At present, assuming that the early clinical studies can be validated by larger studies, psilocybin is poised to make a significant impact on treatments available to psychiatric medicine.
Research Summary of 'Psilocybin: from ancient magic to modern medicine'
Introduction
Secondary metabolites from plants, fungi and bacteria have long been a source of therapeutic agents, especially for anti-infective and anticancer drugs. Treatments for central nervous system disorders have been less commonly derived from such metabolites. Nichols frames psilocybin, a fungal secondary metabolite produced by more than 200 species of basidiomycetes, as an emerging candidate for treating a range of psychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety and certain addictions. This short review aims to trace psilocybin from its ethnographic and chemical discovery through modern advances in synthesis, biosynthetic engineering, neurobiology and clinical studies. The paper synthesises historical background, analytical and synthetic chemistry, enzymology and recent human research to assess the current state of evidence and the prospects for clinical translation.
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Nichols, D. E. (2020). Psilocybin: from ancient magic to modern medicine. The Journal of Antibiotics, 73(10), 679-686. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41429-020-0311-8
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