Topic: 5-HT2A serotonin receptor

Considered by the WHO as the world’s most disabling psychiatric disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD) severely affects patients’ quality of life. Treating patients with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the first-line treatment, improve symptoms but have many limitations, such as delayed clinical benefit and resistance to treatment. Recently, clinical evidences showed that hallucinogenic agonists of the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, such as LSD or psilocybin, induce rapid and lasting antidepressant effects. 5-HT2A receptor activation is known to promote synaptic plasticity, but the molec