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Identification of Blood Biomarkers of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Treatment Response for Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Summary

Researchers studied how psilocybin-assisted therapy works for people with anxiety disorders by examining blood samples from patients who responded well to treatment versus those who didn’t. They identified four genes whose expression patterns could help predict which anxiety patients would benefit from psilocybin therapy before starting treatment. This breakthrough could help doctors avoid giving intensive treatment to patients unlikely to respond and instead direct them toward more effective alternatives.

Background

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) current first-line treatments are only about 50% effective with high relapse rates and adverse effects. Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has emerged as a promising treatment for treatment-refractory mood and anxiety disorders. However, between one-third to one-half of clinical trial participants fail to respond to psychedelic therapies, necessitating the identification of treatment response biomarkers.

Objective

To identify potential blood biomarkers of PAT treatment-response in GAD patients using a multi-omic approach. The study aimed to determine which individuals with GAD are likely to respond to PAT and direct probable non-responders to alternate therapies.

Results

Five genes were differentially expressed between PAT responders and non-responders: CTXN2-AS1, DUT-AS1, HLA-V, PARP16, and SAXO2. A panel of 4 genes (CTXN2-AS1, DUT-AS1, HLA-V, PARP16) was able to separate 45% of GAD participants that responded to PAT from non-responders.

Conclusion

This first multi-omic study of psychedelic treatment for mental illness identified a panel of 4 genes that may be useful in predicting PAT response in GAD patients. Further validation in larger cohorts is needed, and determination of whether these genes predict treatment response prior to commencing PAT.
  • Published in:International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology,
  • Study Type:Clinical Trial,
  • Source: PMID: PMC12359512, DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaf052.154
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