How LSD interacts with the brain's 5-HT2A serotonin receptor
Mechanistic insights into LSD actions at 5-HT2A serotonin receptors
This work is learning how LSD and similar psychedelics bind to and change the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor in human and animal systems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285478 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research uses lab-grown cells and high-resolution molecular tools to map exactly how LSD attaches to and alters the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor. Scientists will compare human versus rodent versions of the receptor and use animal experiments to link molecular actions to effects in living brains. The team will also look at which genes in 5-HT2A-expressing neurons turn on or off after exposure to LSD using sequencing methods. These steps aim to explain how psychedelics produce their effects and could point toward safer, more targeted therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This grant itself does not recruit patients, but its results would most directly interest people with anxiety or other mood disorders who may be candidates for future psychedelic-related treatments.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate clinical treatment or expecting direct therapeutic benefit from this lab-based research will not receive direct care from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help design safer, more precise psychedelic-based treatments for conditions like anxiety and other mood disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Previous structural and pharmacology work has shown 5-HT2A receptors are central to psychedelic effects, but detailed atomic-level mechanisms of LSD binding and downstream gene changes remain incompletely described.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roth, Bryan L. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Roth, Bryan L.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.