Chemical tweaks to a #toad #hallucinogen turns it into a potential #drug
Targets a different #serotonin receptor from other popular #hallucinogens.
The Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius), also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, secretes a #psychedelic compound that likes to bind to a different #serotoninreceptor subtype called #5HT1A. And that difference may be the key to developing an entirely distinct class of #antidepressants.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/05/variant-of-a-toad-based-psychedelic-can-act-as-an-antidepressant/

#Serotonin deficiency underlies #depression & disorders of motivation. Behavioral analysis & pharm manipulation in monkeys reveals distinct contributions of #SerotoninReceptor subtypes to reduced #motivation in terms of cost-benefit trade-offs #PLOSBiology https://plos.io/48kB11t