SOURCE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON

New research has determined that the window of opportunity to provide possible treatments for patients suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) differs depending on whether the patient is male or female. Building on this, scientists from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and Arizona State University have teamed up on the first study looking at sex-targeted drug delivery for TBI in a five-year, $2.5 million project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study will be used to help design nanoparticle delivery systems targeting both sexes for treatment of TBI.

“Under normal circumstances, most drugs, even when encapsulated within nanoparticles, do not reach the brain at an effective concentration due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier. However, after a TBI this barrier is compromised, allowing us a window of opportunity to deliver those drugs to the brain where they can have a better chance of exerting a therapeutic effect,” said Rachael Sirianni, PhD, associate professor of neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Sirianni’s collaborator and co-lead investigator on this grant, Sarah Stabenfeldt, PhD, was the first to demonstrate that the window of opportunity created in the blood-brain barrier differed between men and women, and it was this key finding that led to them applying for the grant from the NIH.

A TBI is any acute force trauma that occurs to the head as a result of a fall or an object hitting the head with any amount of force. The body responds with an acute response to the injury, followed by a chronic phase as it tries to heal. Under normal circumstances the blood vessels in the brain are very selective about what they allow to enter the brain, helping to protect it from substances that might hurt neuron cells and creating a very carefully controlled blood-brain barrier. However, during this second phase of healing following a TBI, those blood vessels are compromised and substances might be allowed to seep in.

“With these nanoparticle systems, we’re looking at how we can revisit a drug that showed promise in preclinical studies or clinical trials but then failed,” Stabenfeldt said.

A psychedelic experience is a temporary altered state of consciousness induced by the consumption of a serotonergic psychedelic substance. For example, an acid trip is a psychedelic experience brought on by the use of LSD, while a mushroom trip is a psychedelic experience brought on by the use of psilocybin. Psychedelic experiences are induced in many contexts including exploratory, recreational, religious, and mystical however science is beginning to recognize the therapeutic benefits of these substances in the treatment of TBI.

THE CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS
Several psychedelic compounds are being studied as treatments for TBI. Two that are at the forefront of this research are psilocybin and ibogaine.

Psilocybin is one of the many compounds found in magic mushrooms (aka psilocybin mushrooms or psychedelic mushrooms). It is a prodrug of psilocin, the main compound responsible for the psychedelic effect of magic mushrooms.

Ibogaine, which is extracted from the iboga shrub, was used by West African communities for centuries in both rituals and healing ceremonies, this psychedelic did not make its way into the western world until 1864. In 1970, the FDA classified ibogaine as a Schedule I drug alongside other psychoactive drugs such as psilocybin and LSD. However, in recent years — with the resurgence of psychedelics in therapeutic research — the regulatory landscape is once again becoming more favorable.

“Ibogaine could be crucial for the treatment of brain trauma and neuropathic pain.” says a spokesperson for MINDCURE. “The substance has been thought to stimulate the growth of new dopamine neurons and repair and reset the brain’s reward system.”

THE COMPANIES BEHIND THE RESEARCH
Many companies and organizations are researching psychedelics for the treatment of TBI. Mental health and wellness company MINDCURE recently announced its efforts towards researching psychedelics for the treatment of TBIs. The company identified opportunities for the treatment of traumatic brain injuries using a psychoactive substance called ibogaine. Leading the charge for MINDCURE’s trauma and head injury research is Dr. Engle, Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology, with a clinical practice that combines functional medicine, integrative psychiatry, neuro-cognitive restoration. He is also the author of the book The Concussion Repair Manual. Dr. Engle calls this era in brain health a “psychedelic renaissance in the redemption of modern psychiatric care.” In other words, this is where the market is headed. Not only are there more decriminalization efforts being made against psychedelics, but we also see increased FDA approvals for its therapeutic use, as well as renowned hospitals like John Hopkins, launching their departments for psychedelic research.

Wesana Health is a private life sciences company that has announced plans for TBI research. CEO Dennis Carcillo is a former National Hockey League player. Throughout his NHL career, Carcillo sustained several TBIs. As the cumulative toll from these injuries increased, Carcillo sought treatment but nothing seemed to work. “I thought I was hopeless because I tried everything. I read every paper. And I couldn’t help myself. That’s when suicidal ideation crept in for the first time in my life. It got really scary.” said Carcillo. “After my first effort at self-medicating with psilocybin, I felt like the brain fog and fatigue start to lift. It just got better progressively as the days went on.” After six months, Carcillo was told his brain scans showed noticeable improvement. Today, as Wesana’s CEO, Carcillo wants to bring psilocybin-based relief to other TBI sufferers, but via licensed-and-approved drugs, and alongside formal psychotherapy.

FROM MENTAL HEALTH TO BRAIN HEALTH
It has been well established that psychedelics have the potential to help psychiatric patients. “Psychedelic compounds have the potential to bring significant improvement to the lives of many individuals suffering from mental illness,” said Brian Barnett, M.D., Center for Behavioral Health, the Cleveland Clinic.

The movement from psychedelics for mental health symptoms to psychedelics for overall brain health seems obvious and researchers have been looking at this progression for decades. For example, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine opened the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research in Baltimore. “Our scientists have shown that psychedelics have real potential as medicine, and this new center will help us explore that potential,” Paul B. Rothman, M.D., dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, said on the Center’s website. With $17 million in funding from private donors, the Center is the first research center of its kind in the U.S. and the largest such center in the world.

Although more research is needed on the subject, it seems clear that science is working towards and possibly close to harnessing psychedelics for good and TBI patients will certainly benefit.