Tabernantalog against stress

A non-hallucinogenic analog of a psychedelic in one dose relieves stress in mice

Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+

A new chemical compound similar in structure to the psychedelic drug ibogaine, but without toxic and hallucinogenic effects, was able to correct the behavior of mice in one dose, relieving them of anxiety and cognitive inflexibility. In addition, it caused the restoration of neural connections and circuits in the brain affected by stress.

In recent years, the interest of researchers in the use of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of diseases such as addiction, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic disorders has increased. However, the negative effects of drugs in the form of hallucinations prevent the spread of this therapeutic method. In addition, scientists are not sure if hallucinations are important in treatment, or if it's just a side effect.

In the past, scientists have already established that ibogaine is able to treat addiction, but causes dangerous arrhythmia, and is also a powerful hallucinogen. The drug tabernanthalog (tabernanthalog, TBG), derived from ibogaine, has not yet been tested on humans, but animal experiments have demonstrated its potential: it has an antidepressant effect and reduces dependence in rodents, according to a press release of Non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analog reverses effects of stress in mouse study.

Article by Lu et al. An analog of psychedelics restores functional neural circuits disrupted by unpredictable stress is published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry – VM.

The drug was developed by specialists from the University of California at Santa Cruz, who studied the harmful effects of stress. At the behavioral level, stress causes increased anxiety, reduces the processing of sensory signals and flexibility in decision-making. In the brain, stress disrupts connections between neurons and changes neural circuits, which leads to an imbalance between arousal and suppression.

"Amazingly, TBG reversed all these effects," said Professor Zuo Yi. "This study is a significant step in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of psychedelic analogues on mental illness, and opens the way for further research into their cellular and neural mechanisms."

Recently, American scientists have discovered a way to identify hallucinogenic and non-hallucinogenic psychedelics using a fluorescent sensor. And they have already discovered one psychoactive compound that does not cause visions.

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