Psychedelic Drugs in Biomedicine
Gainetdinov, R. R., Kalueff, A. V., Kyzar, E. J., Nichols, C. D., Nichols, D. E.
This review (2017) summarizes pre/clinical data pertaining to the effects of psychedelics and their pharmacological mechanisms of action and outlines future areas of translational research to investigate how synapse-related gene expression influences the disruption of established neural connectivity patterns, underlying therapeutic effects.
Abstract
Psychedelic drugs, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, and psilocybin, exert profound effects on brain and behavior. After decades of difficulties in studying these compounds, psychedelics are again being tested as potential treatments for intractable biomedical disorders. Preclinical research of psychedelics complements human neuroimaging studies and pilot clinical trials, suggesting these compounds as promising treatments for addiction, depression, anxiety, and other conditions. However, many questions regarding the mechanisms of action, safety, and efficacy of psychedelics remain. Here, we summarize recent preclinical and clinical data in this field, discuss their pharmacological mechanisms of action, and outline critical areas for future studies of psychedelic drugs, with the goal of maximizing the potential benefits of translational psychedelic biomedicine to patients.