A team at Baylor College of Medicine reports that psilocybin preserves telomere length, delays cellular senescence, and elevates SIRT1 expression in human fibroblasts, yielding up to 57% lifespan extension in vitro and enhanced survival and fur quality in aged mice.
Key points
- Psilocybin preserves telomere length and delays replicative senescence in human fibroblasts.
- 10 μM psilocin treatment elevates SIRT1 expression and enhances DNA damage responses.
- Systemic administration to aged mice improves survival rates and fur quality, indicating geroprotective effects.
Why it matters: By revealing psilocybin's capacity to target cellular aging pathways, this research opens avenues for novel geroprotective therapies beyond neuropsychiatric applications.
Q&A
- What are telomeres?
- How does SIRT1 influence aging?
- Are psilocybin’s effects limited to the brain?
- What safety considerations exist for psilocybin use?
