Enhancement of Human CD8+ T Cell Cytotoxicity by extracts from Amanita muscaria and Psilocybin-Producing Fungi13
Psychoactive fungi contain diverse metabolites with potential immunomodulatory properties. Here we investigated metabolites from two distinct pharmacological classes: serotonergic tryptamines from psilocybin-producing fungi and glutamatergic compounds from Amanita muscaria. In a screen of 38 mushroom extracts, we identified several that enhanced the function of Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes. The A. muscaria extract was superior to all others, and significantly effective in increasing the levels of the cytotoxic protein Granzyme B. These findings highlight the potential of metabolites from psychoactive fungi as an underexplored source of novel immunomodulatory agents.
