What pharmacological principles teach us about psychedelic drug action?
AbstractPharmacology is the discipline that deals with the interaction of a drug with an organism. As such, pharmacology is one of the key disciplines to pave the way for a solid understanding of what psychedelic drugs do to the human body and mind. Pharmacokinetics describe the journey a psychedelic drug takes into, through, and out of the body. Pharmacodynamics describe what psychedelics do when they arrive at their bodily site of target. In my talk, we will go through basic concepts of psychedelic pharmacology and discuss why it is important to factor in parameters, such as the plasma curve, metabolism, or the receptor binding preferences of a psychedelic, when considering the (safety) implications of psychedelic drug consumption. Aim is to provide the audience with reference points of how to critically think of modern psychedelic research from a pharmacological point of view. Amongst others, we will try and answer question like: (1) Why do psychedelics need 5-HT2A activation for their effects, while not all 5-HT2A activators are psychedelic? (2) May endogenous DMT be responsible for near-death experiences when dying? (3) Is microdosing safe and beneficial, or pharmacologically inactive and just a placebo?
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Speaker

Tobias Buchborn graduated in Psychology (Dipl. Psych.) at the Otto-von-Guericke University (OvGU), Magdeburg. In his Diploma thesis, he investigated the behavioural and pharmacodynamic effects of the psychedelic LSD in animal model of depression. Tobias received his PhD (Dr. rer. nat.) in Neurobiology from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, OvGU. His PhD project was conducted at the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, OvGU, and addressed the behavioural and molecular biological correlates of differential tolerance to psychedelics, with focus on processes of 5-HT2A regulation. In 2016, Tobias was awarded an Individual MSCA Research Fellowship to join Imperial College, London, Department of Brain Sciences. Here, he investigated the corticodynamics of psychedelic drug action by means of cell-type specific, optogenetic voltage imaging. Since 2021 Tobias is with the Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, where he uses refined techniques of chemogenetics and fibre photometry to learn about the therapeutic applicability of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of addiction disorders.