Psilocybin Therapy of Psychiatric Disorders Is Not Hampered by hERG Potassium Channel-Mediated Cardiotoxicity

Abstract

Psilocybin, a hallucinogen contained in "magic"mushrooms, holds great promise for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders, and early clinical trials are encouraging. Adverse cardiac events after intake of high doses of psilocybin and a trial reporting QT interval prolongation in the electrocardiogram attributed to the drug's main metabolite, psilocin, gave rise to safety concerns. Here we show that clinical concentrations of psilocin do not cause significant human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channel inhibition, a major risk factor for adverse cardiac events. We conclude that hERG channel blockage by psilocin is not liable for psilocybin- A ssociated cardiotoxic effects.