Tweaking a toad toxin

To deter predators, the Colorado river toad ( Incilius alvarius ) exudes the toxin 5-MeO-DMT from glands within its skin. While the substance puts off predators, people who consume 5-MeO-DMT can have a psychedelic experience. Psychedelic substances have gained attention in recent years as treatments for depression and other central nervous system disorders. Now, researchers have found that an analog of 5-MeO-DMT appears to relieve anxiety and depression in mice without causing hallucinations. The compound, called 4-F,5-MeO-PyrT , was first made by Purdue University's David E. Nichols in 2001 and preferentially binds to the serotonin receptor 5-HT 1A . That's by design. Researchers have focused primarily on the 5-HT 2A receptor when studying psychedelic compounds, and the 5-HT 1A receptor has been underappreciated, says Daniel Wacker of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Wacker led the research with Dalibor Sames of Columbia University. Using cryogenic electron microscopy and