Serotonin News and Research

Latest Serotonin News and Research

Novel intermediate form of serotonin receptor identified as therapeutic target for psychiatric disorders

Misha Kudryshev's lab at the Max Delbrück Center has identified a molecular intermediate of a serotonin receptor that is involved in diseases such as depression and schizophrenia.

4 Sep 2024

NIH funds study on psychedelics' potential to treat methamphetamine addiction

John McCorvy, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW); Adam Halberstadt, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Director of the UCSD Center for Psychedelic Research; and Kevin Murnane, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neuroscience and Director of Basic Science Research for the Louisiana Addiction Research Center at LSU Health Shreveport, were recently awarded a five-year, $2.4 million research grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to uncover critical insights into how psychedelics could be used as a therapeutic to treat methamphetamine addiction.

27 Aug 2024

High dose psilocybin shows similar antidepressant effects to escitalopram

High doses of psilocybin - the active ingredient in magic mushrooms - appears to have a similar effect on depressive symptoms as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug escitalopram, suggests a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The BMJ today.

21 Aug 2024

Researchers urge inclusion of marginalized groups to bridge bulimia nervosa treatment gaps

Researchers identified significant disparities in bulimia nervosa treatment, urging more inclusive research to address gaps in care for marginalized populations.

16 Aug 2024

New findings reveal how serotonin shapes behavior in negative situations

Researchers increased synaptic serotonin through a selective serotonin-releasing agent, fenfluramine, to investigate its impact on human behavior.

14 Aug 2024

Human dopamine transporter structure with cocaine revealed, unlocking addiction insights

Researchers have resolved the high-resolution structure of the human dopamine transporter bound to cocaine, providing critical insights into the molecular basis of cocaine's addictive properties.

12 Aug 2024

Can odors help fight infection? Nematode research suggests so

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, used the nematode model Caenorhabditis elegans to determine whether the olfactory nervous system could non-autonomously control the mitochondrial unfolded protein response in response to cellular stress.

12 Aug 2024

How C. elegans uses smell to preemptively guard against pathogen attacks

Many organisms react to the smell of deadly pathogens by reflexively avoiding them. But a recent study from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that the nematode C. elegans also reacts to the odor of pathogenic bacteria by preparing its intestinal cells to withstand a potential onslaught.

7 Aug 2024

NUS study finds 5-HTP enhances sleep quality and gut health in older adults

National University of Singapore (NUS) nutritionists have found that 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) supplementation can improve sleep quality in Singaporean older adults, particularly in individuals with poor sleep patterns, and manage their gut microbiome composition.

7 Aug 2024

Brain chemical orexin plays key role in choosing exercise over treats

Should I go and exercise, or would I rather go to the café and enjoy a delectable strawberry milkshake? Until now, what exactly happens in our brain when we make this decision has been a mystery to science, but researchers at ETH Zurich have found the solution.

6 Aug 2024

Menopause myths: Separating fact from fiction

Many women approach menopause with anxiety about the future. You've probably heard your grandmother, mother, or aunts lament about menopause, aka "the change," as a stressful time full of hot flashes, weight gain, and plummeting sex drive.

6 Aug 2024

Cannabigerol shows promise in reducing anxiety and stress, study finds

Whether the phytocannabinoid cannabigerol impacted mood, stress, and anxiety and caused any related adverse effects of cognitive or motor impairment.

5 Aug 2024

Psychedelics' dark side: New model reveals risks of false insights and beliefs

Researchers introduce the FIBUS model to explain how psychedelics can lead to false insights and beliefs, highlighting the need for careful clinical evaluation to optimize therapeutic outcomes.

4 Aug 2024

Study reveals serotonin's role in ependymoma tumor growth

Do neurons play a role in brain tumor growth and development? Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine have evidence showing that, for childhood ependymomas, they do.

31 Jul 2024

Study reveals curcumin’s antidepressant effects in obese type 2 diabetes patients

A randomized clinical trial (RCT) to investigate the effectiveness of curcumin in lowering depression among obese individuals with diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM).

30 Jul 2024

Lettuce found comparable to dock leaf for nettle sting relief

Rubbing a lettuce leaf on a nettle sting to ease the associated discomfort may be just as good as using the age-old folk remedy of a dock leaf, suggest the results of a small comparative study, published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.

29 Jul 2024

Associations between gut microbes and Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers reviewed existing data on the role of the gut microbiome in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis.

24 Jul 2024

Irregular sleep and poor REM sleep linked to higher risk of chronic diseases

Longitudinal data from wearable devices linked to health records show that irregular sleep patterns and inadequate REM sleep increase the risk of chronic diseases like hypertension and depression. This emphasizes the importance of consistent and high-quality sleep for overall health.

22 Jul 2024

Could taking vinegar every day help reduce depression?

In a recent study, daily vinegar ingestion significantly improved depression scores in overweight, healthy adults over four weeks, potentially due to enhanced niacin metabolism.

21 Jul 2024

Saffron: A golden remedy for modern health challenges

Review highlights saffron's potential in preventing and treating various human diseases through its bioactive compounds. Clinical and preclinical studies confirm saffron's benefits in conditions like maculopathy, depression, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer.

21 Jul 2024