A new class of compounds derived from psychedelics could open the door to safe, targeted therapies for widespread use in clinical settings.
Emerging evidence shows psychedelic-derived drugs are promising candidates for diseases and conditions featuring inflammation.
Psychedelic drugs, long-known for their powerful effects on perception and emotion, may hold the key to treating a wide range of inflammatory diseases where new therapies are urgently needed - from neurodegenerative conditions to gut and respiratory disorders.
Birmingham researchers have highlighted the emerging therapeutic potential of a new class of compounds derived from psychedelics, which they coin PIPI drugs (pronounced PiePie; Psychedelic drug Informed but Psychedelic-experience Inactive drugs), that could open the door to safe, targeted therapies for widespread use in clinical settings.
In a review published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, scientists led by Professor Nicholas Barnes, principal founder and CEO of University of Birmingham spin-out Celentyx, examined emerging evidence on how psychedelics may do far more than alter consciousness by influencing immune system function, making psychedelic-derived drugs promising candidates for diseases and conditions featuring inflammation.
Psychedelics also influence neuroinflammation, which is a critical factor in chronic and debilitating brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and depression, and the consequences of neurotrauma
As PIPI drugs move into clinical investigation, we hope their therapeutic potential is translated to deliver benefit to patients.
A key drug target of many psychedelics is the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor in the brain, yet these receptors are also found in other tissues, including immune cells.
Significantly, the anti-inflammatory actions of psychedelics may be biologically distinct from the mechanisms responsible for their hallucinogenic effects.
This means it may be possible to develop next-generation treatments that harness the therapeutic power of psychedelics without inducing hallucinations or changes in perception, and these molecules are now beginning to emerge.
Professor Barnes, who has studied the 5-HT receptor system for over 40 years and is the Chair of the IUPHAR 5-HT Receptor Nomenclature Committee, said: "This work highlights a frontier in psychedelic research that could transform how we treat some of the most challenging and persistent diseases of our time. It may mark a major shift in how we address chronic diseases where inflammation delivers pathology. As PIPI drugs move into clinical investigation, we hope their therapeutic potential is translated to deliver benefit to patients."
For media information contact Ruth Ashton, University of Birmingham Enterprise, email: r.c.ashton@bham.ac.uk
About Celentyx Ltd
Celentyx is a spin-out from the University of Birmingham, founded by Professor Nicholas Barnes, a pharmacologist and worldwide expert on serotonin function, and Professor John Gordon (a world-renowned immunologist). The Celentyx team deliver fee-for-service contract research at the forefront of human applied immunology research supporting pharma and biotech R&D, aimed at providing innovative treatments that improve patient outcomes.
About the University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, and its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 6,500 international students from nearly 150 countries. University of Birmingham Enterprise helps researchers turn their ideas into new services, products and enterprises that meet real-world needs. We also provide incubation, and support innovators and entrepreneurs with mentoring, advice, and training, manage the University’s Academic Consultancy Service, and University of Birmingham Enterprise Operating Divisions. Follow us on LinkedIn and X.
Professor of Neuropharmacology
Staff profile for Professor Nicholas Barnes, Professor of Neuropharmacology in School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health.
