Study Finds Evidence that DMT is Produced Naturally from Neurons in the Mammalian Brain

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“New research published in Scientific Reports indicates that the rat brain is capable of synthesizing and releasing a powerful psychedelic drug called dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Scientists suspect that the same could be true in humans.

“I was initially interested in pineal DMT because I thought DMT may contribute to melatonin production in the pineal gland, which was my main research topic in the early 2000s,” said study author Jimo Borjigin, an associate professor in the departments of molecular and integrative physiology, and neurology at the University of Michigan.

The pineal gland is a small structure inside the brain that influences the sleep cycle by secreting the hormone melatonin. Trace amounts of DMT had been detected in the pineal gland and other parts of the body. But whether DMT was actually biosynthesized in the mammalian brain was unclear…” Continue reading