A study from researchers at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences has found that psilocin significantly reduced scratching behavior in an animal model of pruritus, suggesting it may have potential as a treatment for chronic itch conditions.
Dried psilocybin mushrooms.
The study, published in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology, tested varying doses of psilocin (which is the main active compound your body produces after consuming psilocybin) and its combination with 1-MT, a kynurenine pathway inhibitor, on mice subjected to pruritus-inducing stimuli. The researchers documented the number of scratching bouts and analyzed the presence of the head-twitch response, a common measure of psychedelic activity in rodents.
Psilocin at 1 mg/kg demonstrated the strongest antipruritic and hallucinogenic effects. Western blot analysis confirmed increased activity of 5-HT2A receptors in the skin. When combined with 1-MT, the antipruritic effects became more pronounced, suggesting a role for kynurenine pathway inhibition in the observed relief. Additionally, levels of inflammatory markers TLR-4 and TNF-α were significantly reduced in the treatment groups, along with decreased activity of the enzyme IDO.
This marks the first preclinical evidence linking psychedelics to antipruritic outcomes. The researchers note that psilocin’s potential extends beyond treating itch alone—it may hold value for patients suffering from psychiatric conditions accompanied by chronic itch, pointing to a promising new therapeutic application.
For more information on this study, click here.
