New human data suggests psilocybin may reduce inflammation and mitochondrial stress in Parkinson's disease

A small UCSF pilot study provides some of the first human evidence that psilocybin may affect biological processes involved in inflammation and immune dysregulation. Twelve people with Parkinson's disease received two psilocybin sessions, after which five inflammatory signaling molecules were significantly lower than at baseline, with the changes persisting for a month after the final dose. A marker of mitochondrial stress also improved immediately after treatment, but not at longer-term follow-up. The findings may help explain apparent symptom improvements and support further research into psychedelics for neurodegenerative, psychiatric, cardiovascular, and other inflammatory disorders. However, the study had no control group, participants knew they received psilocybin, and its small size means the results are preliminary and cannot establish treatment effectiveness.