• Psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA can block immune cells from triggering fear responses and inflammation in the brain, potentially reversing stress-induced anxiety and depression.
• MindMed's MM120, an LSD-based drug, shows promising results in Phase 2 trials for treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), leading to Phase 3 trials.
• While psychedelics show therapeutic promise, challenges remain regarding safety, functional unblinding in trials, and regulatory hurdles like the DEA's scheduling of LSD.

New research is uncovering the potential of psychedelic drugs to improve mental health by influencing the brain's immune response and reducing inflammation. Studies show that psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD can alter brain-immune interactions, impacting conditions such as anxiety and depression. Clinical trials, including those for MindMed's MM120, are exploring the therapeutic benefits of these substances, while experts emphasize the importance of further research and careful consideration of safety and regulatory challenges.

• What: Psychedelics can reduce inflammation and reset brain-immune interactions, potentially leading to new treatments for mental disorders like anxiety and depression. LSD-based MM120 shows promising results in clinical trials.
• Who: Key individuals include Michael Wheeler (Mass General Brigham, Harvard), Daniel R. Karlin (MindMed), Jerrold Rosenbaum (Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard), and Gabriella Gobbi (McGill University). Organizations involved are Mass General Brigham, Harvard University, MindMed, and Lykos Therapeutics.
• When: Research findings were recently published in Nature. MindMed has launched Phase 3 trials for MM120 in 2025, with data from Phase 2 trials presented at the European Psychiatric Association Congress (EPA) 2025.
• Where: Research is being conducted at Mass General Brigham and Harvard University. Clinical trials for MM120 are taking place in the United States and Europe.

The convergence of research on psychedelics highlights their potential to revolutionize mental health treatment. The discovery of the brain-immune system link and psychedelics' ability to modulate it offers a new avenue for addressing anxiety, depression, and inflammatory disorders. MindMed's MM120 trials demonstrate promising clinical results, but challenges remain in navigating regulatory hurdles and ensuring patient safety. The debate over the necessity of psychotherapy alongside psychedelic treatment underscores the complexity of integrating these substances into clinical practice.

Our study underscores how psychedelics can do more than just change perception; they can help dial down inflammation and reset brain-immune interactions.

It’s unprecedented in psychiatry.

People under the influence of so-called hallucinogens really aren’t hallucinating. What’s happening is the organizing principles that underlie their ability to perceive the world in the usual way are turned down or all the way off, and the world becomes a complicated, confusing mix of lights and colors and sounds, sounds perceived as colors, taste perceived as sound. It’s the loss of organization.

Psychotherapy is as essential as pharmacological treatment in managing mental disorders, particularly in the context of psychedelic therapies.

Psychedelic research is advancing rapidly, revealing potential new treatments for mental health disorders by modulating brain-immune interactions. Clinical trials for drugs like MindMed's MM120 show promising results, but regulatory and safety concerns must be addressed. Further research is needed to fully understand the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and optimize their clinical application, including the role of psychotherapy.