In brief
- A team from the Complutense University of Madrid has confirmed that DMT, the active compound in ayahuasca, protects dopaminergic neurons and reduces brain inflammation in preclinical Parkinson’s models.
- The therapeutic effect occurs through the sigma-1 receptor, which is distinct from the 5-HT2A receptor responsible for the substance’s characteristic visions.
- The finding, published in Experimental Neurology, suggests that a DMT-based drug could potentially be developed without the need to induce a psychedelic state.
A team of researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) has described for the first time that N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), the active principle of ayahuasca, exerts protective effects on dopaminergic neurons in experimental models of Parkinson’s disease. The work, published in the journal Experimental Neurology, further indicates that this benefit does not depend on the pathway that produces hallucinations, but rather on a different receptor called sigma-1.
A mechanism separate from the psychedelic effect
DMT is best known for its ability to activate the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, the target associated with the visions and perceptual alterations of ayahuasca. However, the molecule also binds strongly to the sigma-1 receptor, which is involved in processes of cellular stress regulation, inflammation, and neuronal death. According to the study’s lead researcher, José Ángel Morales García, of the UCM Department of Cell Biology and Histology, the experiments indicate that it is this second pathway, and not the first, that explains the observed beneficial effects. “If the therapeutic effects do not depend on the hallucinogenic effects, a drug based on this molecule could be developed that is clinically viable,” the researcher noted.
What was done and what was observed
The team combined different experimental models: human laboratory cells exposed to a neurotoxin that reproduces the damage characteristic of Parkinson’s, mouse glial cells to study inflammatory processes, and animals with induced Parkinson’s to assess the effect on motor behavior. Overall, exposure to DMT protected dopamine-producing neurons—those that are progressively lost in the disease—reduced markers of brain inflammation, and resulted in an improvement in motor symptoms in the treated animals. According to the authors, this is the first study to specifically analyze the potential of this molecule against Parkinson’s and identify its specific molecular mechanism.
What it implies
This is a preclinical study conducted in cells and animals, so its results do not yet allow for the extrapolation of benefits to people with Parkinson’s, nor do they suggest that consuming ayahuasca has a therapeutic effect equivalent to that of a purified molecule dosed in a laboratory. The team itself presents the finding as a starting point for exploring drugs derived from DMT, rather than as a definitive clinical conclusion. Nevertheless, the work is of interest because it conceptually separates two effects that were usually studied together—the psychedelic and the neuroprotective—and opens a line of research that does not depend on inducing an altered state of consciousness to obtain a potential benefit, which is relevant both for pharmacology and for the broader debate on the therapeutic value of these molecules beyond their ceremonial or recreational use.
Source
- Complutense University of Madrid. The therapeutic action of ayahuasca in Parkinson’s is independent of its hallucinogenic effects. Knowledge Transfer Office UCM, May 19, 2026 (original study in Experimental Neurology, vol. 403, 2026).
Educational content written from a harm reduction perspective and with respect for individual freedom. It is not a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional and is not intended to encourage or condemn any drug use.
