Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill.
Am J Psychiatry. 2023 May 1;180(5):340-347. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230172.
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-HT 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.
在过去的十年中，迷幻化合物已成为治疗多种难治性神经精神疾病的潜在变革性疗法。然而，从历史上看，大多数基础科学研究都将这些化合物用作探针，以研究各种内源性神经递质系统，主要是血清素 5-HT 受体。随着人们重新关注将这些化合物用作治疗方法以及临床试验的爆炸式增长，迷幻剂据称可治疗多种神经精神疾病，包括抑郁症、丛集性头痛、偏头痛、焦虑症和强迫症。因此，了解其治疗机制背后的生物学和药理学知识，并揭示其广泛用作治疗方法的任何潜在陷阱，是至关重要的。本综述涵盖了理解生物学机制的最新进展、新药研发的最新努力，以及将这类化合物用作新兴治疗方法时可能出现的陷阱。
