New preprint: LSD reverses aging- and neurodegeneration-associated brain transcriptional programs

We are excited to share our latest preprint, “Lysergic acid diethylamide reverses aging- and neurodegeneration-associated brain transcriptional programs,” in collaboration with the Iorio group at Human Technopole and the University of Turin.

In this study, we asked whether the molecular programs engaged by LSD-induced plasticity might oppose those associated with brain aging and neurodegeneration. By combining cross-species transcriptomic analyses with experimental validation, Aurora Savino from the Iorio group found that chronic LSD treatment induces gene expression changes that are strongly anti-correlated with conserved aging- and dementia-associated signatures in the human prefrontal cortex.

Our Ilaria Bertani found that LSD counteracts amyloid-β-induced structural and molecular alterations in primary cortical neurons, linking transcriptional changes to functional rescue in a neurodegeneration-relevant context. Together, these results suggest that LSD modulates molecular and cellular pathways associated with brain aging and neurodegeneration, and provide a framework for thinking about how plasticity-inducing compounds may engage disease-relevant biology.

This work reflects the kind of interdisciplinary science we value: connecting computational biology, neuroscience and experimental validation to ask bold questions about brain function, vulnerability and repair.

Read the preprint here: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.26.727809v1.full