Psilocybin—the psychedelic compound naturally found in “magic” mushrooms—has already shown clinical promise for treating depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Now, researchers have uncovered evidence that it could also slow down aspects of biological aging.
In a new study published in NPJ Aging, scientists at Baylor College of Medicine report that psilocybin’s active metabolite, psilocin, extended the lifespan of human cells in the lab. Even more striking, aged mice given psilocybin lived longer and looked healthier than untreated controls.
Beyond the Brain: Why Researchers Looked at Aging
Psilocybin is best known for its neurological effects, but its influence may extend to other parts of the body. The idea stems from the “psilocybin–telomere hypothesis”—a theory suggesting that psychedelics might protect or lengthen telomeres, the protective caps on chromosomes that naturally shorten with age.
Poor mental health, including chronic stress and depression, has been linked to shorter telomeres and accelerated aging. Because psilocybin can improve psychological well-being, researchers wondered whether it might also slow cellular aging directly.
Until now, no one had tested this idea experimentally.
The Lab Results: Psilocin Extends Cell Lifespan
To test the theory, the team grew human lung and skin fibroblasts—cells that divide a set number of times before entering senescence. Some cultures were treated continuously with psilocin, while others received only a control solution.
The results were striking:
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At 10 μM, psilocin extended cell lifespan by 29%.
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At 100 μM, lifespan increased by 57% in lung fibroblasts and 51% in skin fibroblasts.
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Treated cells divided more times, retained healthier growth patterns, and entered senescence later.
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Markers of aging—like β-galactosidase activity and cell cycle arrest proteins p21 and p16—were reduced.
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Longevity-related proteins, including SIRT1, were elevated.
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Oxidative stress decreased, along with lower levels of Nox4 (a pro-oxidant regulator) and higher levels of Nrf2 (an antioxidant regulator).
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Telomere length was preserved in treated cells, unlike in untreated controls.
Importantly, the psilocin-treated cells still reached a natural growth limit—meaning there was no sign of cancer-like uncontrolled proliferation.
The Mouse Study: Longer Life and Healthier Appearance
The researchers then tested psilocybin in living animals. They used 19-month-old female mice—roughly equivalent to a human in their early 60s—and gave them psilocybin by mouth once a month for 10 months. The first dose was 5 mg/kg to allow acclimation, followed by 15 mg/kg each month thereafter.
By the end of the study:
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80% of psilocybin-treated mice were still alive, compared to 50% of controls.
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Treated mice had glossier coats, more hair regrowth, and less white hair.
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No signs of toxicity or abnormal weight loss were detected.
How It Might Work
Psilocybin is a potent serotonin receptor (5-HT2A) agonist, and these receptors are found not just in the brain but in many tissues, including the heart, immune cells, and skin. Activation of 5-HT2A has been linked to increased SIRT1 activity, reduced oxidative stress, and improved DNA stability—all mechanisms that could support healthy aging.
The team believes psilocybin’s long-lasting biological effects might also involve epigenetic changes—alterations in how genes are expressed without changing the underlying DNA sequence. While these results are exciting, they’re still early-stage. The findings support the idea that psilocybin could be more than a mental health therapy—it might be a geroprotective agent that slows multiple aspects of the aging process, even when started later in life.
This is the first experimental evidence that psilocybin can delay cellular aging and extend life in an animal model. While human trials are needed, the work opens a surprising new chapter in psychedelic research—one that reaches far beyond the brain.
