eDMT Commons

Summary

This project aims to solve one of the biggest mysteries in neuroscience: how the brain makes its own DMT, and if it can be regulated up or down.

DMT is a powerful psychedelic produced in small amounts by mammals, including humans. Our initial project will focus uncovering how its production is regulated. We suspect that a long-overlooked peptide inhibits the enzyme INMT, which is responsible for synthesizing DMT. No one’s ever isolated this peptide. If we do, we’ll have the first and only handle on how the body controls its own psychedelic chemistry—and maybe even how to safely activate that system on demand.

Why It Matters

This research could open up entirely new ways to treat mental health conditions like depression, stroke, chronic pain, or neurodegenerative diseases. It may also help create new tools for therapy and cognitive enhancement that work with the body’s own chemistry.

All results will feed into the eDMT Commons: a shared IP framework governed by the community. That means discoveries stay open, coordinated, and benefit more than just a few private companies.

The Problem

Endogenous DMT is one of the most promising and least understood topics in neuroscience. Without aligned funding and a shared IP structure, we risk leaving major discoveries on the table or locking up behind privately-opwned patents before we even grasp their full implications.

The Opportunity

This is the first coordinated effort to map the brain’s internal DMT system. If successful, it’ll lay the foundation for a whole new class of psychedelic therapies, and a new way to steward scientific knowledge.