For decades, psychopharmacology has focused on chemical modulation rather than biological repair. Emerging evidence across cellular, molecular, and systems neuroscience suggests that the adult brain retains dormant capacities for renewal that can be pharmacologically reactivated. This commentary outlines the conceptual framework of regenerative pharmacology, a new discipline aiming to reawaken intrinsic plasticity to restore function in neuropsychiatric disorders. Key mechanisms include the reactivation of immature neurons, astrocytic reprogramming, cortical reopening of critical periods, and epigenetic or metabolic rejuvenation that resets cellular potential. Together, these processes form a multiscale model of brain repair, extending from chromatin to cognition. Integrating these advances within ethical, experience-guided clinical paradigms could transform treatment from neurotransmitter stabilization to true neural regeneration—marking a paradigm shift from pharmacology that controls the brain to one that teaches it to heal.
Moawiah M. Naffaa (Fri,) studied this question.
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