Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania demonstrated that a single dose of psilocybin in mouse models reduced both chronic pain and associated depressive and anxiety-like behaviors. The study elucidated that psilocybin’s active metabolite, psilocin, modulates neural activity in brain regions linked to pain and mood, binding serotonin receptors to suppress hyperactivity induced by chronic pain. This preclinical evidence provides a promising non-opioid pathway for treating complex pain and mood disorders concomitantly.