Psychedelics May Slow Aging at the Cellular Level

Could psychedelics do more than affect the mind?

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), publishing in NPJ Aging, have found that psilocybin – the compound found in psychedelic mushrooms – can extend cell lifespan and improve survival in aged mice.

The findings suggest that its effects may go well beyond the brain, raising the possibility of new treatments for aging itself.

How psilocybin could link psychedelics and healthy aging

Psilocybin is best known for its effects on the brain. In clinical studies, it’s shown promise for treating depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction, especially when those conditions don’t respond to standard treatments. What’s been less studied is what psilocybin does to the rest of the body.

People with chronic stress, depression or anxiety tend to have shorter telomeres – the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shrink as we age – suggesting mental health and aging may be linked at a cellular level. Shorter telomeres are a recognized marker of aging. In contrast, people with better mental health tend to have longer telomeres.

This connection led to the so-called “psilocybin-telomere hypothesis”: that psilocybin might influence aging by helping maintain telomere length.

Until now, this was mostly speculation. Most research on psilocybin has focused on mood, perception and brain function. Almost no one has examined whether it affects cellular aging or health more broadly.

“There have been a number of clinical studies that have explored the therapeutic potential of psilocybin in psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety; however, few studies have evaluated its impacts outside the brain,” said senior author of the study Dr. Louise Hecker, an associate professor of medicine – cardiovascular research at BCM.

In the recent paper, Hecker and the team tested the effects of psilocybin and its metabolite, psilocin, on human cells and aged mice. Their goal was to find out if the drug could delay signs of aging and improve survival.

 

What psilocybin did to aging cells and mice in the lab

The researchers tested psilocybin’s effects in two settings: human cells in the lab and aged mice.

In the lab, researchers grew human fibroblasts – cells from lung and skin tissue – and exposed them to different doses of psilocin. They tracked how long the cells kept dividing before entering senescence.

The treated fibroblasts lived up to 57% longer. The cells showed better growth, lower oxidative stress and longer telomeres. They also had more of the protein SIRT1, which is known to play a role in longevity, and signs of improved DNA stability.

These effects were dose-dependent and consistent across both lung and skin fibroblasts.

In the animal part of the study, female mice aged ~19 months (~60 years in a human) received oral psilocybin once a month for 10 months. The first dose was lower (5 mg/kg), followed by a regular high dose (15 mg/kg).

In the psilocybin-treated mice, survival rates jumped to 80% compared to 50% in the control group. The treated mice also looked healthier, with better fur quality.

Importantly, there were no signs of weight loss or toxicity from the treatment.

“This is a very exciting and clinically relevant finding that suggests that even when intervention is initiated late in life, it can have dramatic impacts,” said lead author Dr. Kosuke Kato, an assistant professor at BCM.

Mechanistically, the study suggests that psilocybin may work by activating SIRT1 and lowering oxidative stress. These changes could be linked to the drug’s interaction with serotonin receptors, especially 5-HT2A, which are found in many tissues beyond the brain.

The authors also raise the idea that longer-lasting effects could involve changes to gene expression through chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation.

The future of psychedelics as anti-ageing treatments

This study suggests that psilocybin could be more than a treatment for mental health. It may also act as a geroprotective agent – something that slows down or offsets biological aging.

“The overwhelming majority of what we know about psilocybin is how it impacts the brain. Our findings suggest that psilocybin has potent effects on the entire body, including antiaging properties, which also may contribute to the plethora of observed beneficial clinical outcomes,” said Hecker.

Human trials are needed to know if the same benefits would show up in people, or how long they’d last, including ones that explore long-term safety, ideal dosing and the biological pathways involved. The treatment also raises safety questions. Extending cell lifespan might sound positive, however, it could increase the risk of cancer if not well controlled.

“Our findings open an exciting new chapter in psychedelic research beyond its neurological and psychological benefits,” Hecker said. “Psilocybin may represent a disruptive agent that promotes healthy aging. The next steps need to explore the therapeutic effects across multiple age-related diseases.” 

“There is still a lot to understand,” said Kato. “We also need to better understand the potential risks of long-term psilocybin treatment before this type of treatment is ready for public use.” 

 

Reference: Kato K, Kleinhenz JM, Shin YJ, Coarfa C, Zarrabi AJ, Hecker L. Psilocybin treatment extends cellular lifespan and improves survival of aged mice. npj Aging. 2025;11(1):55. doi: 10.1038/s41514-025-00244-x

 

This article is a rework of a press release issued by Baylor College of Medicine. Material has been edited for length and content.