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Potentially Non-Hallucinogenic Psychedelic Could Open Door for Treatment Developments
A newly identified psychedelic that doesn’t trigger hallucinations could facilitate significant progress in the development of treatments for mental health conditions.
Studying hallucinogenic and non-hallucinogenic psychedelics, researchers at the University of California identified a non-hallucinogenic compound—AAZ-A-154—that produced an impact similar to hallucinogenic psychedelics in animal studies. Findings from the study were published by the journal Cell.
The potential for non-hallucinogenic psychedelics is massive, Cal assistant professor David Olson told The Guardian, because they could allow for the medicines to be self-administered instead of requiring patients to visit practitioners to prepare, be supervised for at least 8 hours, and then attend a follow-up session.
Researchers identified the non-hallucinogenic compound by developing a sensor that would glow in the presence of a hallucinogenic compound when it interacts with a serotonin receptor. Olson said the sensor could help facilitate the discovery of additional hallucinogenic compounds. The compound studied by the Cal researchers must undergo safety testing to be cleared for early-stage human trials.
