Psychedelics Researchers Target Systemic Inflammation

May 19, 2021 14:35:02

While medical science is still working to establish how different cannabinoids can best be used to combat widespread/systemic inflammation, psychedelics researchers are hard at work to develop a “wonder drug” for systemic inflammation from psychedelics.

An LSU Health Sciences Center team is looking into how DOI, a synthetic psychedelic substance that is similar to LSD, can be refined in order to exploit its anti-inflammatory effects. Eleusis, a life sciences company, is working with the LSU researchers.

Charles Nichols is a pharmacology professor and also the scientific founder at Eleusis. He has proven that DOI is good at not only preventing but also treating systemic inflammation in mouse models. His team at LSU is now working to reduce, as much as possible, the behavioral (psychedelic) effects of DOI while retaining its potent anti-inflammatory effects.

Nichols explains that he has created a version of DOI, referred to as ELE-02 by Eleusis, which shrinks the behavioral impact of DOI by two-thirds while retaining the substance’s anti-inflammatory impact. He reveals that this variant is likely to start undergoing clinical trials in 2022. The substance will be administered in those trials as eye drops.

The researcher adds that the company decided to formulate this potential drug as an eye drop because it wanted to minimize as much as possible the likelihood that the psychedelic could reach and affect the brain.

Eleusis is also working to develop third- and fourth-generation versions of its drug that will have an even smaller psychedelic effect than ELE-02 while packing a big anti-inflammatory punch. Those future DOI-based drugs could possibly be sold as pills indicated for systemic-inflammatory conditions such as asthma, the researchers hope.

The basis for the company’s extensive work is the realization that all hallucinogenic, neuroplastogenic, behavioral and anti-inflammatory abilities of psychedelics seem to be traceable to one receptor: the serotonin receptor found in the brain. Tiny or even miniscule differences in a psychedelic substance can therefore result in different reactions being triggered when this receptor is activated. For instance, the psychedelic substance DMT causes pronounced hallucinogenic effects but doesn’t have any inflammation-fighting properties, while ELE-02, which also activates the same receptor, has a smaller hallucinogenic effect and a significant inflammation-fighting ability.

The researchers want to isolate the mechanisms through which different effects are triggered and then design psychedelic substances that minimize the undesirable effects while magnifying the desirable effects, such as the ability of the substance to fight systemic inflammation. Such drugs would be marketed as pharmaceutical products and not as psychedelic products.

As Eleusis progresses with its research efforts, other companies, such as Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (OTCQB: CLXPF), also have distinguished scientific teams that are busy with their own push to develop cutting-edge psychedelic medicine formulations which will transform the way a number of psychiatric disorders are treated.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (OTCQB: CLXPF) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CYBN

About PsychedelicNewsWire

PsychedelicNewsWire (PNW) is a specialized content distribution company that (1) aggregates and distributes news and information on the latest developments in all aspects and advances of psychedelics and their use, (2) creates PsychedelicNewsBreaks designed to quickly update investors on important industry news, (3) leverages a team of expert editors to enhance press releases for maximum impact, (4) assists companies with the management and optimization of social media across a range of platforms, and (5) delivers unparalleled corporate communication solutions. PNW stays abreast of the latest information and has established a reputation as the go to source for coverage of psychedelics, therapeutics and emerging market opportunities. Our team of seasoned journalists has a proven track record of helping both public and private companies gain traction with a wide audience of investors, consumers, media outlets and the general public by leveraging our expansive dissemination network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets. PNW is committed to delivering improved visibility and brand recognition to companies operating in the emerging markets of psychedelics.

To receive instant SMS alerts, text “Groovy” to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information please visit https://www.PsychedelicNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the PsychedelicNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by PNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.PsychedelicNewsWire.com/Disclaimer

Do you have questions or are you interested in working with PNW? Ask our Editor

PsychedelicNewsWire (PNW)
San Francisco, California
www.PsychedelicNewsWire.com
415.949.5050 Office
Editor@PsychedelicWire.com

PsychedelicNewsWire is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.