Fungal biology

Variety, biology, and history of psilocybin mushrooms with ideas for future research and technology

Psychedelic Science Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated

Abstract

Psilocybin-producing fungi have a long history of traditional use and are gaining attention for their therapeutic potential in treatment-resistant mental health conditions.

  • Preliminary data suggest psilocybin may help address various treatment-resistant mental health issues.
  • Understanding the biology and diversity of psilocybin-containing fungi is essential for consumer safety.
  • The research reviews recent findings on the biological pathways that produce psilocybin, particularly in the Psilocybe genus.
  • Psilocybin's ethnomycological uses highlight its historical significance in healing practices.
  • Future research is needed to further explore the mycology surrounding psilocybin and its therapeutic applications.

Simplified

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.
View Full Text ↗

Funding

Competing interests

Declaration of competing interest JCS is a paid scientific advisor to Back of the Yards Algae Sciences and served on the board of the Entheome Foundation. All other authors declare no conflict of interest.
PubMed

Related papers

Nov '22
DNA and chemical tests of psilocybin mushrooms show many identification errors and inconsistent chemical profiles in mushroom collections
top 20% journal
cited by 25 papers
research support, non-u.s. gov't
Sep '23
Psychedelic mushrooms: Their history, biology, growing methods, medical uses, and biotechnology
top 5% journal
cited by 31 papers
research support, non-u.s. gov't
Jan '24
Evolutionary history of the psychedelic mushroom group Psilocybe and the genes that produce psilocybin
top 2% journal
cited by 29 papers
journal article
Nov '03
Psilocybin and psilocin amounts in different mushroom types
cited by 6 papers
journal article
Aug '23
Studying the Safety and Effectiveness of Psilocybe cubensis as a Treatment for Major Depression
cited by 3 papers
research support, non-u.s. gov't

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

  • 📚7 fresh studies
  • 📝plain-language summaries
  • ✅direct links to original studies
  • 🏅top journal indicators
  • 📅weekly delivery
  • 🧘‍♂️always free

Recent issues from the psychedelic science brief

issue #49
Psilocybin stays active in neurons long after it leaves the bloodstream — here's what that means
2 days ago7 studies
issue #48
Psychedelics during adolescence reshaped adult social behavior in rats — here's the circuit
1 week ago7 studies
issue #47
Psilocybin rewired prefrontal circuits in mice — but only for one specific type of cognitive failure
2 weeks ago7 studies
issue #46
Psilocybin cut two specific brain chemicals in depressed patients — here's what that means
3 weeks ago7 studies
issue #44
Psilocybin rewires brain feedback circuits for weeks after a single dose, new evidence shows
4 weeks ago7 studies
issue #43
A pill form of ketamine cut dissociation to near-zero vs. nasal spray's 29.6-point spike — but missed its main antidepressant target
5 weeks ago7 studies
issue #42
At-home ketamine injections cut depression scores by more than half in 3,870 patients
6 weeks ago8 studies
issue #41
Psychedelics disrupt brain signal flow in both humans and mice across LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA
7 weeks ago7 studies
issue #40
Inhaled 5-MeO-DMT cut postpartum depression scores by 35 points
8 weeks ago7 studies
issue #39
Psilocybin's antidepressant effects lasted 12 months in 126 treatment-resistant patients
9 weeks ago7 studies
explore the archive
See more issues from the psychedelic science brief