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.
An in-silico study published in the journal Molecules suggests that numerous psychedelic substances and their analogues could cross the human placenta relatively easily. The researchers examined a total of 250 compounds, including ketamine as well as substances from the tryptamine, ergoline, and phenylethylamine classes.
To predict placental transfer, the scientists used a multivariate model that accounts for molecular properties, membrane permeability, plasma protein binding, and volume of distribution, among other factors. According to the calculations, most of the substances examined show a high probability of crossing the placenta, presumably mainly through passive diffusion.
For psilocybin and psilocin, for example, the model calculated high placental transfer. The ergolines and phenylethylamines examined also largely showed corresponding signals. Mescaline reached the highest value of the entire group, with a predicted log FM value of -0.09. The log FM value describes the ratio of the concentration in fetal to maternal blood at equilibrium.
The results are not experimental proof of fetal exposure, however, and certainly not proof of harm to the unborn child. Placental transfer was predicted computationally, not measured directly in pregnant women or in a biological model. The authors also point out that further research is needed, particularly on the metabolism and excretion of the substances, before possible risks to offspring can be assessed.
Above all, the study signals that potential fetal exposure to psychedelics during pregnancy should be taken into account in further pharmacological and toxicological research.
