The hallucinogen released from the venom of the Bufo toad shows potential in treating mental disorders. health and wellness

Sonoran Desert Toad (the Insilius Alverius, also known as the Colorado River Toad or Bufo Toad) releases a venom through its skin that contains a psychedelic compound with therapeutic potential. The 5-MeO-DMT molecule, which is naturally secreted by the parotid glands of this amphibian, has hallucinogenic properties, causing temporary distortions in visual, auditory and time perception in those who consume it. But trips Substances produced from this compound may also have health effects and the scientific community is already investigating its properties for treating depression and other mental disorders. A study was published this Wednesday in the journal Nature Dive deeper into the knowledge of this type of psychedelic and its medicinal possibilities: Researchers at the Icahn Faculty of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York have mapped the molecular underpinnings of 5-MeO-DMT in the brain and analyzed how it interacts with the same receptors. Interacts. Serotonin is used in other antidepressant medications. Its authors say the research adds “important information” to facilitate the development of new neuropsychiatric therapies.

Amid the renaissance in psychedelic therapy, many have their eyes set on the therapeutic potential of 5-MeO-DMT. And it’s already being tested in humans with a handful of trials for resistant depression. But the mechanism of action, how this compound affects the brain, remains unclear. Scientists are paying particular attention to the interactions of this and other psychedelics with brain receptors that activate a key neurotransmitter for regulating mood: serotonin. This chemical acts as a communication pathway for neurons to send messages to each other and helps regulate a variety of functions from mood to digestion, temperature, sleep or sexual function. Low concentrations of serotonin are linked to the development of depression and other mental disorders. Some traditional antidepressants, such as Prozac, seek precisely to increase serotonin levels.

Daniel Wacker, author of the study published in Nature admit that what they know about the effects of 5-MeO-DMT “comes from anecdotal reports”: “Psychedelics induce altered states of consciousness, which are often described as trips And they can’t compare to the high produced by cannabis. trips They include temporary distortions of visual, auditory and time perception, often described as hallucinations, but also so-called subjective effects that range from pleasant mystical experiences and feelings of unity to negative experiences including fear, paranoia and vomiting. Can be up to. 5-MeO-DMT is particularly associated with ego dissolution, i.e. feelings of unity with the universe, which may contribute significantly to the sustained antidepressant effects of psychedelics. However, this has not yet been demonstrated, and other studies, including ours, suggest that other mechanisms may also contribute to the antidepressant effects of 5-MeO-DMT2.

Their research focused on analyzing in animal models how this compound interacts with a group of serotonin receptors closely related to anxiety circuits in the brain. “Although there have been some studies indicating that other receptors may play a role in the actions of 5-MeO-DMT, the psychoactive effects of psychedelics are generally attributed primarily to the actions of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. Has gone. 5-MeO-DMT has already demonstrated considerable therapeutic effects in humans, although these reports are anecdotal and cannot be corroborated with controlled clinical trials. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which 5-MeO-DMT and other psychedelics may treat psychiatric disorders are currently unknown. “Our study suggests that for 5-MeO-DMT, binding and activation of the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor may play an important role,” Wacker said in an email response.

Scientists explain that behind the alphanumeric surname (5-HT1A) hides one of 13 groups of receptors activated by serotonin and which “regulate many physiological processes, including many brain functions, intestinal motility and even That includes the reproductive system.” “5-HT1A is the most highly expressed serotonin receptor in the brain, where it regulates body temperature, memory and learning, mood, and other aspects of human physiology. Interestingly, 5-HT1A is the primary molecular target of several prescription antidepressants, including vilazodone, buspirone, and gepirone. 5-MeO-DMT binds to pocket of 5-HT1A, to which serotonin normally binds, but it interacts differently with the receptor than serotonin itself, as we demonstrate through atomic-level structures in our work,” he added. .

The researchers analyzed the compound’s interactions with these receptors and modified specific sites of the hallucinogen to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic agent, in mouse models of depression. The research concludes, “Our studies provide important information on an understudied class of psychedelics and related compounds that may facilitate the development of new neuropsychiatric treatments targeting 5-HT1A.”

Victor Pérez, who is head of psychiatry at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona and is running a clinical trial (phase II) with 5-MeO-DMT for resistant depression, explains that Wecker and his team “propose What is part of the mechanism of action”, but they do not address all the questions that remain up in the air: “We do not know how the patient improves. There is still a lot to be learned and I don’t know if we will know what the ultimate mechanism of action is. But it is surprising that patients suffering from depression who do not find relief from individual treatment and are extremely desperate, after this therapy, within a few hours, undergo qualitative changes (depressive symptoms go away). They are substances with tremendous potency and, if you do it in appropriate places (under health control), they are quite safe drugs,” explains Perez.

clinical implications

Wacker’s findings shed a little more light, like in a movie, trying to figure out what happens to the brain when this psychedelic, derived from the venom of buffalo toads, is used. But they also reveal the complexity of these mechanisms of action, the scientists believe: “Our research shows that the mechanism by which 5-MeO-DMT acts in the brain is likely more complex than previously thought, Because its effectiveness depends on the clinic potentially 5.” -HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. “This finding may have clinical implications, as the drug may cause known 5-HT1A-related side effects, as seen with other 5-HT1A drugs (sleep disorders, headache, etc.).”

Regarding this study, Oscar Soto, president of the Spanish Society of Psychedelic Medicine, highlighted that such findings would “allow for a better identification of how (this compound) affects one receptor or another. ” “This opens the door to developing new specific molecules to bind specifically to a specific receptor,” says the doctor, who was not involved in the research.

Soto Parks is a psychiatrist at San Juan de Deu, where three clinical trials have just begun to test 5-MEO-DMT and another psychedelic compound, psilocybin, in patients with resistant depression. Regarding the hallucinogen traditionally extracted from the venom of the Bufo toad, Soto explains that it induces brain plasticity and an altered state of consciousness, a process “complex and different from other psychedelics”, but that ” leads to rapid improvement. in symptoms.” “A characteristic of altered states of consciousness is the inability, the difficulty, to describe that state: many people talk about feeling as if they disappear, not so much the visible changes. , but sometimes, they lose track of time. Sometimes you don’t even remember your experience,” he says. Travel It is short, between 10 minutes to half an hour, but warns that “they are complex experiences and it is important that the patient feels safe and accompanied as it can be a difficult process to navigate.”

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