Projects & Programs
Extraction, purification & analytical characterization of DMT
The Mimosa tenuiflora tree, also known as Jurema Preta, occurs naturally in the drylands of the Brazilian Northeast. Its roots and bark contain fairly large amounts of DMT. This series of studies involve understanding the functions of DMT, understanding its biosynthesis process, and understanding and optimizing DMT extraction and purification processes using a green chemistry approach. DMT and derivates are characterized by analytical chemistry techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), DRX, mass spectrometry, and spectrometric analyses. These steps are crucial for guiding all steps of the extraction process and ensuring the purity and potency of the compounds.
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DMT safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers and for treatment-resistent depression
We investigate the safety and tolerability of DMT by inspecting the subjective experiences (intensity, valence, and phenomenology), physiological effects (blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, body temperature), biochemical markers (liver, kidney, and metabolic functions), and adverse events during the acute and post-acute effects of DMT. Inhaled DMT might be an efficient, non-invasive, safe route of administration, which might simplify the clinical use of this substance. This is the first clinical trial to test the effects of inhaled DMT.
Pré-Clinical studies with DMT
The Research & Development aspect of the CAMP are carried out in consonance with its laboratory animal science unit. The development of new tools, techniques and compounds must be evaluated first by pre-clinical studies, i.e., studies focusing in understand the major risks and benefits of those new approaches, prior to its application to humans. In parallel to the development, this unit expands our knowledge about the underlining mechanisms by which the DMT exert its remarkable effects. Equipped with tools to access changes from genes to behavior, the laboratory animal science unit are able to understand organic events that are not readily accessible in human subjects, in a manner, once the prototypes are safe and ready to be tested in the clinical setting, the basic science produced by this unit often provides insights to how predict and better control positive outcomes.
The effects of DMT on cognition, biochemistry & the brain
We evaluate the acute and subacute effects of inhaled DMT on the cognition, biochemistry, and brain activity of healthy participants. To investigate these changes, we are using electroencephalography (EEG) to record the brain activity of the participants in two dosing sessions (low and high) of inhaled DMT, in random order. We are interested in changes in perception, mental imagery, suggestibility, biochemistry, and the phenomenology of the subjective DMT experience. This project will allow us to understand better the acute and subacute effects of DMT in different processes and systems, which are ultimately related.
Ayahuasca for Treatment-Resistent Depression
We conducted the first open-label trial in 17 patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) who attended a single ayahuasca session in a University Hospital. A significant decrease in the severity of depression was observed already 24 hours after the ayahuasca session, and the symptoms remained reduced for 21 days. In a follow-up study, we conducted a randomized placebo-controlled trial at the University Hospital Onofre Lopes (the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN). In this study, 29 patients with TRD were assigned to receive either an intervention with ayahuasca or a placebo. We observed significant antidepressant effects one day after the ayahuasca session, which persisted for at least 7 days when compared to the placebo. We found response rates of 50% on one day, 77% on day 2, and 64% on day 7 after ayahuasca administration. This study was the first RCT in the world to test a psychedelic substance to treat TRD.
Ketamine for Treatment-Resistent Depression
Ketamine is an anesthetic that acts as a rapid antidepressant, with effects within about 24 hours. In 2020, esketamine spray (Spravato), developed by Janssen, was approved to treat treatment-resistant depression, but its high cost limits access. Since 2021, we have been studying subcutaneous esketamine for this condition. The first phase of the study, a biomedical model, showed a 52% clinical response rate and 30% remission rate. The ongoing second phase includes ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, aiming to improve outcomes. This line of research also explores molecular biomarkers to optimize treatment. The goal is to develop an alternative as effective as Spravato but more accessible.