Despite excessive fear surrounding anecdotal reports of psychedelics inducing suicidal behaviors dating back to the 1950s, the current scientific landscape suggests potential therapeutic utility.
Entactogenic drugs like MDMA and psychedelics like psilocybin may be beneficial for a range of psychiatric disorders. Though the pharmacology and subjective effects of entactogens and psychedelics differ, drugs that display qualities of both have received little attention to date.
A slew of contemporary research suggests MDMA’s efficacy as an adjunct in the treatment of PTSD, while little is known concerning the mechanisms at work. Recent investigation into the behavioral neurobiology of MDMA’s ability to facilitate the cessation of fear responses may offer a mechanistic explanation regarding its psychiatric utility.
MDMA-assisted therapy has been on the forefront of psychedelic research for years, but more recently patient safety concerns and research ethics have come into question.
The potential use of serotonergic psychedelic drugs has yet to be explored for treatment of multimodal health issues such as obesity. A new preclinical study aims to explore the effects of psilocybin in rodent food consumption and weight gain.
Prior studies in clinical populations with OCD as well as animal models of this disorder indicate that psilocybin may suppress compulsive behavior. Although efforts to identify the mechanism of psilocybin’s effects are underway, the pharmacological targets underlying its anti-compulsive potential remain elusive.
Allosteric modulation is a promising way to target the receptors of psychoactive substances, such as CB1R, for therapeutic use. However, it is difficult to design safe, effective allosteric compounds. New high-resolution structures of CB1R provide insight into a way forward for drug discovery.
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