Translated from our German original by AI. The German text was researched, written, and edited by the Psychedelia Foundation team and remains the authoritative version.
A new paper argues for widening psychedelic therapy and research beyond isolated psilocybin. While most clinical trials have so far focused on the pure compound, the researchers argue that standardized full-spectrum extracts of the whole Psilocybe cubensis mushroom should be studied as well.
The researchers point to preclinical studies that highlight differences between pure psilocybin and whole-mushroom extracts. According to these, full-spectrum extracts could have distinct effects on synaptic proteins, metabolic processes, and behavior. Such effects have been observed in animal models of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, among others.
Alongside possible biological advantages, the authors also see societal opportunities. In the longer term, standardized mushroom extracts could allow cheaper and more widely accessible treatment approaches than synthetic psilocybin preparations, which are costly to manufacture.
The scientists therefore call for research on psychedelic therapies to rest on a broader scientific basis. Decisions about future treatment approaches should not depend on the pharmaceutical manufacturability of individual compounds alone, but should take the whole body of available evidence into account.
