Psychedelics as Transformative Therapeutics

Psychedelic compounds are being investigated as potential treatments for several neuropsychiatric conditions, including depression, cluster headaches, migraines, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This review describes the biological mechanisms underlying these therapeutic effects, focusing on the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor system, and discusses recent drug discovery efforts. It also highlights potential pitfalls in the widespread clinical use of psychedelics, emphasizing the need to understand both their pharmacology and risks.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Over the past decade, psychedelic compounds have emerged as potentially transformative therapeutics for a variety of intractable neuropsychiatric conditions. However, historically most of the basic science has utilized these compounds as probes to interrogate various endogenous neurotransmitter systems-mainly the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. With the renewed interest in utilizing these compounds as therapeutics and the explosion in clinical trials, psychedelics have been purported to treat many neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, cluster headaches, migraines, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is therefore imperative to understand the biology and pharmacology behind their therapeutic mechanisms as well as expose any potential pitfalls in their widespread use as treatments. This review covers the latest advances in understanding the biological mechanisms, the newest efforts in drug discovery, and potential pitfalls when it comes to utilizing this class of compounds as emerging therapeutics.