Marandiuc Ilinca-Mihaela, Docea Anca Oana, Hîrjău Andreea Camelia, Avram Oana Ruxandra, Matei Corina-Ștefania, Tsatsakis Aristidis, Arsene Andreea-Letiția
Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
"Cantacuzino" National Institute for Medical-Military Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania.
Daru. 2025 Aug 7;33(2):29. doi: 10.1007/s40199-025-00572-z.
New psychoactive substances (NPS) pose a rapidly evolving public health challenge due to their diverse chemical structures and psychoactive effects, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of their classification, mechanisms of action, and detection.
Recognizing critical gaps in the understanding and management of NPS, this review aimed to synthesize current liter-ature. Specifically, we sought to elucidate the evolving classifications of NPS, delineate their underlying molecular mechanisms of action to inform therapeutic strategies, and critically evaluate existing detection methodologies to ad-dress current analytical limitations, thereby providing an essential, integrated perspective on this rapidly changing landscape.
A narrative literature review was conducted to analyze NPS classification, molecular mechanisms, and detection techniques. Searches were performed across Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Elsevier, using keywords such as "synthetic cathinones", "designer drugs", "new psychoactive substance(s)", "detection of new psychoactive sub-stances" and "toxicology." Inclusion criteria prioritized studies primarily focused on NPS with clearly defined com-pounds (e.g., UNODC, EMCDDA classifications) and published within the last four years. Eligible publications en-compassed in vivo and in vitro studies, original research, and various review types. Exclusion criteria involved liter-ature outside the specified timeframe and studies on established drugs of abuse or licit substances, unless a direct comparative analysis with NPS was presented.
The review synthesized a classification framework for NPS, detailed the molecular mechanisms underlying their psychoactive effects, and summarized current detection methodologies. Furthermore, it underscored the significant health risks associated with NPS use, including addiction, psychological disturbances, organ toxicity, and fatal outcomes.
The continued emergence and proliferation of NPS necessitate ongoing research to fully characterize their specific effects and associated risks. This review provides a foundational synthesis of current knowledge, not only supporting the development of evi-dence-based interventions to mitigate their public health impact, but also serving as a catalyst for new research direc-tions aimed at a deeper understanding and more effective management of these evolving compounds.
新型精神活性物质（NPS）因其多样的化学结构和精神活性效应，对公共卫生构成了迅速演变的挑战，因此有必要全面了解它们的分类、作用机制和检测方法。
认识到在新型精神活性物质的理解和管理方面存在的关键差距，本综述旨在综合当前的文献。具体而言，我们试图阐明新型精神活性物质不断演变的分类，描绘其潜在的分子作用机制以为治疗策略提供信息，并严格评估现有的检测方法以解决当前的分析局限性，从而对这一迅速变化的领域提供一个必要的、综合的视角。
进行了一项叙述性文献综述，以分析新型精神活性物质的分类、分子机制和检测技术。在科学网、Scopus、PubMed和爱思唯尔数据库中进行搜索，使用了“合成卡西酮”“ designer drugs”“新型精神活性物质”“新型精神活性物质的检测”和“毒理学”等关键词。纳入标准优先考虑主要关注具有明确化合物（如联合国毒品和犯罪问题办公室、欧洲毒品和毒瘾监测中心的分类）的新型精神活性物质且在过去四年内发表的研究。符合条件的出版物包括体内和体外研究、原创研究以及各种综述类型。排除标准涉及指定时间范围之外的文献以及关于已确定的滥用药物或合法物质的研究，除非与新型精神活性物质进行了直接的比较分析。
该综述综合了新型精神活性物质的分类框架，详细阐述了其精神活性效应背后的分子机制，并总结了当前的检测方法。此外，它强调了与使用新型精神活性物质相关的重大健康风险，包括成瘾、心理障碍、器官毒性和致命后果。
新型精神活性物质的持续出现和扩散需要持续的研究，以充分表征其特定效应和相关风险。本综述提供了当前知识的基础综合，不仅支持制定基于证据的干预措施以减轻其对公共卫生的影响，还作为新研究方向的催化剂，旨在更深入地理解和更有效地管理这些不断演变的化合物。
