Symposium
Session Room 213
Session Room 213
Tuesday, June 17, 10:50 AM – 12:05 PM
Symposium 8: From Molecular Mechanisms to Brain Circuitries: How Psychedelics are Reshaping Our Understanding of Neuropsychiatric and Behavioral Disorder Treatments
After a prolonged hiatus due to regulatory constraints, psychedelic compounds have re-entered the scientific community's radar. Compounds such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin are currently being investigated for their potential to treat various neuropsychiatric and behavioral disorders, including mood disorders, anxiety, addiction and anorexia nervosa(Inserra et al., 2021, Conn et al., 2024, De Gregorio et al., 2022, Reed and Foldi, 2024). Despite their well-known action as agonists of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, the precise mechanisms through which these compounds exert their therapeutic effects remain largely elusive. In particular, the brain circuitries and additional receptors involved are not well understood. For instance, psilocybin and LSD are considered "promiscuous" due to their affinity for a wide range of receptors, including dopaminergic D2 and serotonergic 5-HT1A receptors(De Gregorio et al., 2021). A significant concern is the hallucinogenic effect of these compounds, which has driven researchers to develop more selective molecules with improved safety profiles(Lewis et al., 2023, Cameron et al., 2023).
This symposium will focus on the preclinical effects of psychedelics in rodent models, emphasizing the pharmacological mechanisms and neuronal circuitries involved in the action of both classic and novel psychedelic compounds.
Prof. Danilo De Gregorio (Male, Early Career Investigator, CINP Member) will discuss the potential of a single dose of LSD to treat alcohol use disorder. His presentation will cover behavioral analysis and in vivo electrophysiology, highlighting LSD's modulation of alcohol consumption via the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral tegmental area (VTA), two brain regions critically involved in addiction. Moreover, the role of the dopaminergic D2 receptor in the anti-addictive properties of LSD will be also discussed.
Prof. Argel Aguilar-Valles (Male, CINP Member) will discuss the effects of the non-hallucinogenic LSD derivative, 2-bromo-LSD (2-Br-LSD) on the brain, focusing on the mechanisms underlying its impact on stress-coping behaviours and its ability to reverse the mal-adaptive behavioural changes produced by chronic stress exposure. Furthermore, he will explore the pharmacodynamics of the drug, in comparison to LSD, and evidence demonstrating the contribution of different receptors in mediating 2-Br-LSD’s acute and lasting cellular effects in cortical neurons.
Dr. Claire Foldi (Female) will discuss the mechanisms through which psilocybin may have efficacy in treating symptoms of eating disorders, including its effects on cognitive flexibility, compulsive exercise and neural responses to food reward. She will demonstrate the requirement of signalling through the serotonin (5-HT) 1A receptor subtype for improved flexible learning after psilocybin and the roles of dopamine receptor subtypes (D1 and D2) on the acute and enduring effects on cognition and reward processing.
Overall, this symposium will provide an overview of the putative mechanisms by which psychedelics may treat different diseases. The speakers represent diverse geographical regions and are all experts in the field. The session includes contributions from early career investigators and female researchers.
This symposium will focus on the preclinical effects of psychedelics in rodent models, emphasizing the pharmacological mechanisms and neuronal circuitries involved in the action of both classic and novel psychedelic compounds.
Prof. Danilo De Gregorio (Male, Early Career Investigator, CINP Member) will discuss the potential of a single dose of LSD to treat alcohol use disorder. His presentation will cover behavioral analysis and in vivo electrophysiology, highlighting LSD's modulation of alcohol consumption via the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral tegmental area (VTA), two brain regions critically involved in addiction. Moreover, the role of the dopaminergic D2 receptor in the anti-addictive properties of LSD will be also discussed.
Prof. Argel Aguilar-Valles (Male, CINP Member) will discuss the effects of the non-hallucinogenic LSD derivative, 2-bromo-LSD (2-Br-LSD) on the brain, focusing on the mechanisms underlying its impact on stress-coping behaviours and its ability to reverse the mal-adaptive behavioural changes produced by chronic stress exposure. Furthermore, he will explore the pharmacodynamics of the drug, in comparison to LSD, and evidence demonstrating the contribution of different receptors in mediating 2-Br-LSD’s acute and lasting cellular effects in cortical neurons.
Dr. Claire Foldi (Female) will discuss the mechanisms through which psilocybin may have efficacy in treating symptoms of eating disorders, including its effects on cognitive flexibility, compulsive exercise and neural responses to food reward. She will demonstrate the requirement of signalling through the serotonin (5-HT) 1A receptor subtype for improved flexible learning after psilocybin and the roles of dopamine receptor subtypes (D1 and D2) on the acute and enduring effects on cognition and reward processing.
Overall, this symposium will provide an overview of the putative mechanisms by which psychedelics may treat different diseases. The speakers represent diverse geographical regions and are all experts in the field. The session includes contributions from early career investigators and female researchers.