Mental disorders are a global issue that present significant medical and social challenges, affecting society and leading to substantial economic costs. Current pharmacological treatments for psychiatric disorders often show limited effectiveness and come with considerable side effects. However, recent human studies on psychedelics have shown promise, indicating lasting clinical benefits for a range of psychiatric conditions. We hypothesize that targeting alternative receptors such as 5-HT2A, Sigma-1, and 5-HT7 could reduce the side effects commonly associated with psychedelics. In our analysis of psychedelic compounds, we identified that each receptor’s ligands share certain structural elements. By synthetically fusing these key domains into a single entity, we aim to enhance the compounds’ interactions with the receptors while minimizing side effects, making them more effective drug candidates.

supervisor: Dmitry Tsvelikhovsky