In a ground-breaking study, a group of scientists at Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) used a psychedelic medication to find brain neurons that might help lower anxiety without producing hallucinations. Targeting the ventral hippocampus—a region that receives emotional information and regulates stress—is the main goal of the research, which is headed by neuroscientist Vidita Vaidya. They intend to create novel therapies for depression, PTSD, and anxiety by turning on particular neurons in this region.
Alexander Shulgin created the synthetic chemical known as DOI, which is the psychedelic drug utilized in this study, back in 1984. Since DOI is not frequently abused, unlike popular psychedelics like LSD or psilocybin, it is appropriate for research in India, where laws prohibit the use of psilocybin and LSD. Vaidya and her colleagues verified that DOI successfully lowers anxiety in animals using a “elevated plus maze” test.
After that, the researchers worked with specialists from the universities of Cornell, Yale, and Columbia to identify the area of the brain where DOI was producing this impact. The target region was determined to be the ventral hippocampus, and it was shown that certain neurons known as “PV-positive neurons” became hyperactive in the presence of DOI. It is now possible to create new medications that precisely target these neurons since it was discovered that these neurons are essential for lowering anxiety without producing hallucinations.
This discovery is important because it may lead to the development of psychedelic-inspired drugs that reduce anxiety without producing delusions. On these medications, several researchers are already at work. In order to progress towards clinical studies in India, Vaidya is also addressing these findings with experts at NIMHANS. However, she points out that the nation does not currently have any such trials for psychedelic-assisted therapy because of regulatory obstacles.
Biju Viswanath, an extra NIMHANS professor of psychiatry, emphasized the drawbacks of the available medicines for depression and anxiety, which frequently take weeks to start working. He sees the investigation of novel agents such as DOI as a viable strategy. He did, however, agree that there might be difficulties in conducting clinical studies for these drugs in India because of their potential for abuse.
Vaidya intends to present this work at the Gordon Research Conference on Neurobiology of Psychedelics in Rhode Island in 2025. She will highlight the importance of psychedelic research funding for India, given the nation’s growing mental health issue.
SOURCE :
TIMES OF INDIA
