Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41891829›Full record

ArticleeLife2026

Psilocin fosters neuroplasticity in iPSC-derived human cortical neurons.

Malin Schmidt, Anne Hoffrichter, Mahnaz Davoudi, Sandra Horschitz, Thorsten Lau, Marcus W Meinhardt, Rainer Spanagel, Julia Ladewig, Georg Köhr, Philipp Koch

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in eLife, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Inhibition of Ferroptotic Toxicity by 4-Hydroxyindole.Chemical research in toxicology · 2025
    Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Malin SchmidtDepartment of Translational Brain Research, Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), University of Heidelberg/ Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4907-8908
Anne HoffrichterDepartment of Translational Brain Research, Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), University of Heidelberg/ Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6009-7826
Mahnaz DavoudiDepartment of Translational Brain Research, Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), University of Heidelberg/ Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9806-3496
Sandra HorschitzDepartment of Translational Brain Research, Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), University of Heidelberg/ Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9295-5493
Thorsten LauDepartment of Translational Brain Research, Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), University of Heidelberg/ Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4390-3465
Marcus W MeinhardtInstitute for Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), University of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5103-0731
Rainer SpanagelInstitute for Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), University of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2151-4521
Julia LadewigDepartment of Translational Brain Research, Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), University of Heidelberg/ Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5943-7990
Georg KöhrDepartment of Neurophysiology, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), University of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
Philipp KochDepartment of Translational Brain Research, Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), University of Heidelberg/ Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3713-8786

Funding

German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) 01ZX01909German Science Foundation (DFG) TRR 265
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Psilocybin is studied as innovative medication in anxiety, substance abuse and treatment-resistant depression. Animal studies show that psychedelics promote neuronal plasticity by strengthening synaptic responses and protein synthesis. However, the exact molecular and cellular changes induced by psilocybin in the human brain are not known. Here, we treated human cortical neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells with the 5-HT2A receptor agonist psilocin - the psychoactive metabolite of psilocybin. We analyzed how exposure to psilocin affects gene expression, neuronal morphology, synaptic markers and neuronal function. Psilocin provoked a 5-HT2A-R-mediated augmentation of BDNF abundance. Transcriptomic profiling identified gene expression signatures priming neurons to neuroplasticity. On a morphological level, psilocin induced enhanced neuronal complexity and increased expression of synaptic proteins, in particular in the postsynaptic compartment. Consistently, we observed an increased excitability and enhanced synaptic network activity in neurons treated with psilocin. In conclusion, exposure of human neurons to psilocin might induce a state of enhanced neuronal plasticity, which could explain why psilocin is beneficial in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders where synaptic dysfunctions are discussed.

Indexed as

Cerebral CortexHallucinogensInduced Pluripotent Stem CellsNeuronal PlasticityNeuronsPsilocybinBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorCells, CulturedGene Expression ProfilingHumansBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorHallucinogenspsilocinPsilocybin5-HT2A receptorBDNFhumanhuman induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neuronsneuroplasticityneurosciencePsilocinPsychedelics

Identifiers

PMID41891829
PMCPMC13030890

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.