Psychedelic drugs could have two distinct overlapping effects based on their affinity for two receptors involved in neuronal plasticity. Scientists at the University of Helsinki have observed that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocin (a drug isolated from the mushroom Psilocybe mexicana) have an antidepressant effect that is independent of their hallucinogenic outcome. These two different pathways are established through their binding to the tyrosine kinase receptor (TrkB), which has an antidepressant nature, or to the serotonin receptor, with a hallucinogenic activity.

In accordance with the publishing schedule, BioWorld Science will not be published on Monday, June 5, 2023.

Additional early-stage research and drug discovery news in brief, from: Apogenix.

Researchers at Abbvie Inc. and Calico Life Sciences LLC have described protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors, particularly tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2; TCPTP) and/or PTPN1 (PTP-1B), reported to be useful for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Qilu Regor Therapeutics Inc. has divulged protein-arginine deiminase type-4 (PADI4) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of sepsis, cancer, bacterial, viral infections, inflammatory disorders, autoimmune diseases and metabolic diseases.

Insilico Medicine IP Ltd. has identified small-molecule inhibitors of ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 1 (USP1) reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.