Understanding Psychedelic and Psychoactive Molecules in Neurodegeneration: Innovative Medical Approaches.

This research topic investigates the complex role of psychedelic and psychoactive plants in the study of neurodegeneration, focusing on how their bioactive molecules could inform a novel medical approach to neurodegenerative disorders.It brings together insights from ethnopharmacology, neuroscience, molecular biology, and clinical research to explore how these compounds interact with neural systems involved in degeneration, repair, and neuroprotection. The topic also recognises the importance of the social, ethical, and regulatory context surrounding psychedelic, psychoactive and regulated products, including issues of medical safety, social acceptance, and equitable access to emerging therapies. Ultimately, this topic aims to promote curiosity-driven yet ethically grounded exploration, bridging traditional ethnobotanical knowledge with modern molecular neuroscience to better understand the therapeutic and societal potential of psychoactive plants, including psychedelic mushrooms, in neurodegenerative medicine.Contributions are encouraged from across disciplines, blending scientific evidence, human experience, and policy perspectives to shape a balanced understanding of the opportunities and challenges in this area.Submissions must follow the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology and the ConPhyMP statement (Front. Pharmacol., 13:953205). Detailed descriptions of plant material, extraction, and processing are essential; manuscripts lacking this information will be desk-rejected. Authors are encouraged to self-assess their manuscripts using the ConPhyMP tool before submission. Purely computational or network-only studies, without ethnobotanical or experimental components, fall outside the scope of this journal. Best-practice guidance: https://ga-online.org/best-practice Topic editors: Andrea Bugarcic, Gregory Redpath, Dejan S Stojkovic Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/75696/understanding-psychedelic-and-psychoactive-molecules-in-neurodegeneration-innovative-medical-approaches