Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics

Indolethylamine N-Methyltransferase Deletion Impacts Mouse Behavior without Disrupting Endogenous Psychedelic Tryptamine Production Exogenously administered psychedelics produce both rapid and long-lasting effects on neuroplasticity and behavior, but it is currently unclear if endogenously produced psychedelics can elicit similar ...

Behavioral changes appeared, but endogenous psychedelic levels remained largely unchanged suggesting alternative biosynthetic pathways at work.

This study opens the door to new questions about how the body might naturally produce psychedelic compounds.

Read the full study:

#UCDavisIPN Director @deolsonlab.bsky.social and his team studied mice without INMT, an enzyme long thought to be essential for producing endogenous #psychedelics like DMT. The surprise...?

Psilocybin during the postpartum period induces long-lasting adverse effects in both mothers and offspring - Nature Communications The treatment potential of psilocybin for postpartum depression was investigated in a preclinical mouse model. Here the authors show both acute and long-term effects of psilocybin in mothers and their offspring who were exposed via lactation.

In a new publication from #UCDavisIPN affiliate Danielle Stolzenberg, her team found that postpartum mice given psilocybin showed a long-term increase in anxiety behaviors after a single dose. Even more striking, their offspring experienced similar effects.

Psychedelic neuroplasticity of cortical neurons lacking 5-HT2A receptors - Molecular Psychiatry Molecular Psychiatry - Psychedelic neuroplasticity of cortical neurons lacking 5-HT2A receptors

Researchers @umich.edu found #psychedelics can boost brain connections even when neurons don’t have the usual 5-HT2A receptor because nearby cells pass the effect along. At #UCDavisIPN, we’re also exploring surprising ways psychedelics reshape the brain.

UC Davis Institute for Psychedelics & Neurotherapeutics Newsletter Sign up for our newsletter:

Interested in reading more about the IPN? Join our newsletter! We publish each Spring and Fall. We share about our research of course, but you can also get an inside look at what we're all about here at the #UCDavisIPN. Sign up here:

There’s still plenty to uncover, and an ongoing collaboration with #UCDavisIPN’s own @deolsonlab.bsky.social will be key to understanding the mechanisms at play and which compound might offer the greatest benefit with the fewest side effects.

Scientists find psychedelics stimulate the growth of new synapses in the ear Scientists are exploring the possibilities

IPN collaborator Dr. Uri Manor at
@ucsandiego.bsky.social reveals that #psychedelics as well as non-hallucinogenic analogues developed at the #UCDavisIPN can grow new synapses in the cochlea of mice which could open new horizons for treating age-related hearing loss.

At #UCDavisIPN we’re pursuing similar goals researching LSD analogues like JRT that boost neuroplasticity without hallucinations, a promising path towards addressing unmet needs in neuropsychiatric treatment. #psychedelic

Single Treatment With MM120 (Lysergide) in Generalized Anxiety Disorder This randomized clinical trial assesses the dose-response relationship of MM120 (lysergide D-tartrate) vs placebo in adults with moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder.

New in @jama.com: A phase 2b trial of an oral LSD formulation (MM120) found that 100 µg and 200 µg doses significantly reduced anxiety symptoms in adults with generalized anxiety disorder. Results support 100 µg as the optimal dose for future trials.

This unorthodox treatment could help new moms: ‘The tipping point is coming’ Demand is surging among new moms for this once-taboo treatment, and the first trials of a new drug have shown promising results.

#UCDavisIPN affiliate Danielle Stolzenberg, commented on the trial for the @sfchronicle.com: "It’s very encouraging to see PPD represented in the new wave of psychedelic research," though, she shares, "It’s unclear whether psychedelics will be safe during the postpartum period.”

Reunion Neuroscience Announces Positive Topline Results from RECONNECT Phase 2 Clinical Trial of RE104 for the Treatment of Postpartum Depression (PPD) -- Achieved Primary Endpoint with 30mg Dose of RE104 Demonstrating 23.0-Point Reduction from Baseline in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)...

Reunion Neuroscience has achieved positive topline results from the Phase 2 trial of RE104, a synthetic #psychedelic, in postpartum depression. This marks an exciting milestone for their mission. Remarkably, 71% of patients experienced remission of symptoms within 7 days.

Can Psychedelic Therapy Go Mainstream? : Up First from NPR Research shows that psychedelics can help with a range of mental health conditions, like PTSD and depression. So why can't you get them from your doctor? Today on The Sunday Story, we take a trip thro...

On @npr.org’s The Sunday Story, IPN Director, @deolsonlab.bsky.social explains how #psychedelics may treat depression by promoting brain plasticity and why he’s working to engineer out the trip.

🎧 Hear more on the psychedelic renaissance and where science is headed:

Psychedelics and Non-hallucinogenic Analogs Work Through the Same Receptor, Up to a Point Understanding exactly how psychedelics promote new connections in the brain is critical to developing targeted, non-hallucinogenic therapeutics that can treat neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric di...

Greg Watry of @ucdlands.bsky.social wrote a wonderful article about the #UCDavisIPN's @natureportfolio.nature.com most recent Neuroscience publication. Find out why our associate director, John A. Gray said, "Science is full of surprises."

Read the article here: www.ucdavis.edu/news/psyched...

The psychoplastogen tabernanthalog induces neuroplasticity without proximate immediate early gene activation - Nature Neuroscience Aarrestad et al. show that, in contrast to psychedelics, the nonhallucinogenic psychoplastogen tabernanthalog promotes neuroplasticity through 5-HT2AR activation without immediately increasing extrace...

The field of psychedelic science is finally closer to an answer on how non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogues induce neuroplasticity.  Read the new publication from the #UCDavisIPN in @natureportfolio.nature.com Neuroscience about how the team uncovered this using TBG, lasers, and genetic tools.

A New Drug Could Revolutionize Treating Mental Health | The Lisa Wexler Show

#UCDavisIPN Director @deolsonlab.bsky.social spoke with Lisa Wexler from the Voice of Connecticut about JRT, a non-hallucinogenic #psychedelic analogue with potential to treat schizophrenia.

🔗 Listen to David's segment on The Lisa Wexler Show here or anywhere you get your podcasts:

The polypharmacology of psychedelics reveals multiple targets for potential therapeutics Jain et al. profiled 41 classical psychedelics across 318 GPCRs, revealing activity at serotonin, dopamine, and adrenergic receptors. All compounds activated multiple 5-HT2AR signal transduction pathw...

A team led by @zenbrainest.bsky.social and colleagues screened 41 classical #psychedelics across 318 human receptors. The result? A sweeping map of psychedelic polypharmacology that includes broad activity at serotonin, dopamine, and adrenergic receptors.

🔗 Read the full study:

Compass Pathways Successfully Achieves Primary Endpoint in First Phase 3 Trial Evaluating COMP360 Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Compass Pathways plc (Nasdaq: CMPS), a biotechnology company dedicated to accelerating patient access to evidence-based innovation, announced today the succe...

Big news in #psychedelic science: Compass Pathways' proprietary psilocybin formulation is the first-ever classic psychedelic in a Phase 3 trial. It showed a significant reduction in depression symptoms compared to placebo. We’re very excited to see the data once published!

Read the press release:

Choroid plexus apocrine secretion shapes CSF proteome during mouse brain development - PubMed The choroid plexus (ChP) regulates cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition, providing essential molecular cues for brain development; yet, embryonic ChP secretory mechanisms remain poorly defined. Here ...

#UCDavisIPN Affiliate @sadeghlab.bsky.social co-authored a new @natureportfolio.nature.com paper revealing how maternal exposure to 5-HT2C agonists can cause the choroid plexus to secrete proteins into cerebrospinal fluid, affecting fetal brain development and behavior into adulthood. Read more:

Manvir Singh @ The Yolo County Library Davis' Local Independent Bookstore since 1987

Meet us at the Davis Public Library in Davis on May 29th for IPN Affiliate @manvir.bsky.social's author talk on "Shamanism: The Timeless Religion." Register for the event, hosted by the Avid Reader, using the link below.

Where: 315 E. 14th Street, Davis, CA 95616
Time: 6:30PM
#shamanism #UCDavisIPN

Shamanism by Manvir Singh: 9780593537541 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books From a brilliant, young, Harvard-trained anthropologist and contributor to The New Yorker comes a fascinating investigation into the spiritual practice of shamanism, from its beginnings to the present...

Now available: Shamanism: The Timeless Religion written by IPN Affiliate @manvir.bsky.social. Manvir's work cuts through myths and binaries, exploring the deeper meaning behind our fascination with shamanism and ancient ways of knowing.

Order your copy now:

#UCDavisIPN #shamanism

Shamanism by Manvir Singh: 9780593537541 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books From a brilliant, young, Harvard-trained anthropologist and contributor to The New Yorker comes a fascinating investigation into the spiritual practice of shamanism, from its beginnings to the present...

Whether you're curious about the life of an anthropologist doing remote fieldwork or how the global archaic psychedelic shamanism hypothesis misrepresents reality, this book is a must-read. Preorder your copy now at the link below:

@aaknopf.bsky.social

#UCDavisIPN #shamanism #psychedelics

IPN Affiliate @manvir.bsky.social's new book "Shamanism: The Timeless Religion" releases May 20th. The book is a provocative journey through history, belief, and the incredible diversity of human spiritual and healing practices.

An LSD analogue for treating psychiatric diseases Researchers designed a non-hallucinogenic analogue of LSD that had antidepressant and numerous cognitive benefits in mice.

Thanks to NIH Research Matters team for recognizing the #UCDavisIPN's work on JRT. This work brings us closer to creating effective and practical treatments for patients.

Shamanism by Manvir Singh: 9780593537541 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books From a brilliant, young, Harvard-trained anthropologist and contributor to The New Yorker comes a fascinating investigation into the spiritual practice of shamanism, from its beginnings to the present...

The article is an excerpt adapted from Manvir's upcoming book, "Shamanism: The Timeless Religion" which releases on May 20th. @aaknopf.bsky.social Preorder the book here:

The ancient psychedelics myth: ‘People tell tourists the stories they think are interesting for them’ The narrative of ancient tribes around the world regularly using ayahuasca and magic mushrooms in healing practices is a popular one. Is it true?

Fascinating read by IPN affiliate @manvir.bsky.social in @theguardian.com on how stories about “ancient” psychedelic use are often shaped by what tourists want to hear, not necessarily what’s true. This is a must-read for anyone thinking about tradition, authenticity, and modern #psychedelics.

Modifying LSD to Minimize Hallucinogenic Properties Results in a Potential New Drug Candidate for Schizophrenia | Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Some psychedelic compounds have been shown to be powerful promoters of growth in atrophied cortical neurons, a fact that has intrigued researchers interested in addressing one of the hallmark patholog...

Check out this write-up on JRT, an LSD analogue created at the #UCDavisIPN published last week in @pnas.org. Thanks to BBRF for highlighting our research on how swapping just two atoms could change how schizophrenia is treated. Read more about our latest study here:

Thank you, Greg Watry, for this write-up on JRT, our non-hallucinogenic LSD analog from the #UCDavisIPN. This compound has the potential to treat patients affected by schizophrenia! @ucdavismedschool.bsky.social @ucdlands.bsky.social @ucdaviscns.bsky.social

@ucdlands.bsky.social @ucdaviscns.bsky.social

JRT even increases dendritic growth more than LSD!  Check out its effects on spinogenesis:

The effectiveness of clozapine has been hypothesized to be due to its ability to promote cortical neuron growth, and JRT causes and even greater increase in dendritic growth! Check out these images from the paper: