A recent study with potentially far-reaching implications for anti-aging medicine has found that psilocybin — the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms — may not only enhance human cellular health but also significantly increase lifespan in elderly mice.
Published in the respected journal npj Aging, this research provides the first experimental evidence directly linking psilocybin to slowing cellular aging and boosting longevity. The findings lend support to the increasingly discussed hypothesis that psychedelics might positively influence lifespan and overall health.
Conducted by researchers at Emory University and Baylor College of Medicine, the study examined the effects of psilocin — the active metabolite of psilocybin — on cultured human cells and aged mice.
The results were striking: cells treated with psilocin in the lab lived up to 57% longer. Meanwhile, mice given regular doses of psilocybin over ten months experienced a 60% increase in survival compared to untreated controls.
“Most human cells express serotonin receptors, and our data indicate that psilocybin can affect systemic aging processes, even when administered late in life,” said Dr. Louise Hecker, lead author of the study. “These findings pave the way for promising anti-aging therapies, including for elderly populations.”

Psilocybin is well-known for its therapeutic effects on conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction, with hundreds of clinical trials underway. However, its direct impact on biological aging had not been thoroughly investigated until now.
This work builds on the so-called “psilocybin-telomere hypothesis,” which proposes that psychedelics may preserve telomere length — protective caps on chromosomes whose shortening is associated with aging and disease. Longer telomeres generally correlate with better health and increased longevity.
To explore this, researchers used human fetal lung fibroblasts, a standard model for studying cellular aging. With continuous psilocin treatment at concentrations of 10 µM and 100 µM, these cells’ lifespan increased by 29% and 57%, respectively.
Additionally, treated cells showed reduced oxidative stress, preserved telomere length, and elevated levels of the longevity-associated protein SIRT1. Markers of cellular aging such as p21 and GADD45a were also significantly decreased.
Importantly, the cells did not become cancerous; they naturally reached senescence, indicating that psilocin slowed aging without inducing uncontrolled cell growth — a key safety concern for anti-aging therapies.
Similar tests on adult human skin fibroblasts confirmed an approximately 51% increase in lifespan.
Moving beyond cell cultures, the team tested aged female mice (19 months old, roughly 60-65 human years) receiving monthly psilocybin doses for ten months. At study’s end, 80% of treated mice survived versus 50% in the control group.
Moreover, treated mice displayed improved fur quality and reduced graying, though these effects were not quantitatively measured.
Scientists propose that psilocybin’s anti-aging effects stem from activation of the serotonin receptor 5-HT2A, which is found in many body tissues. Activating this receptor boosts SIRT1 expression, which regulates aging, metabolism, and cellular stress response. Previous studies have linked increased SIRT1 to extended lifespan in various species.
Psilocybin may also induce epigenetic changes — lasting alterations in gene expression — potentially explaining why a single dose can have prolonged effects.

If replicated in humans, these discoveries could herald revolutionary treatments that delay aging and promote healthier, longer lives, even when started late in life. Such advances would have major public health and economic benefits.
The researchers note that the dosing in mice was modeled on human clinical trials, and that psilocybin has a safety record recognized by the FDA as a “breakthrough therapy.”
Still, questions remain: What are the optimal dose and frequency? Do benefits vary by sex or age? Could earlier intervention yield greater gains?
To limit biological variability, the study used only female mice and emphasizes the need for further research on sex differences and long-term cancer risks.
These findings gain additional significance alongside earlier studies demonstrating psilocybin’s ability to stimulate rapid, sustained neural growth.