What are telomeres?
Telomeres are the protective caps at the end of our chromosomes. Each time a cell divides, they become slightly shorter and eventually this protective cap wears away. Shorter telomeres are associated with ageing and chronic diseases. Therefore, many scientists are looking for ways to keep these 'end caps' as long as possible.
Now psilocybin appears to be a drug that can protect and even extend telomeres. In this blog, we tell you about the latest findings on how magic mushrooms and magic truffles can contribute to healthy ageing.
The psilocybin-telomere hypothesis
A paper appeared in 2020 launching the psilocybin telomere hypothesis. The idea: psilocybin could protect or even increase the length of telomeres, keeping cells healthy for longer. This hypothesis made sense. People with better mental health tend to have longer telomeres. Although plausible, there was no scientific evidence yet to support this theory.
New research in 2025
A team of researchers from Emory University and Baylor College of Medicine published a groundbreaking study in July 2025. They treated human fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) with psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, and saw that the lifespan of these cells increased by 29 % at a dose of 10 µM. At a higher dose of 100 µM, the increase was as much as 51 % to 57 %. The cells continued to divide longer and showed fewer features of ageing, such as shortening of telomeres and increased oxidative stress.
Interestingly, telomere length was maintained in psilocin-treated cells. Whereas control cells saw their telomeres shrink, telomeres in treated cells remained the same length. This is a first indication that psilocybin can slow down the wear process of these protective caps.
Research with mice
In addition to the cell studies, the scientists investigated the effects of psilocybin on the whole organism. They gave old mice (similar to 60-65 years in humans) first a low dose (5 mg/kg) and then monthly higher doses (15 mg/kg) for 10 months. At the end of the experiment, 24 of the 30 treated mice had survived, compared to only 14 of the 28 in the control group. It was also noticeable that the mice had improved fur and fewer grey hairs.
More SIRT1 enzymes
In addition to the lengthening lifespan and reduction in grey hairs, the researchers found higher levels of SIRT1, an enzyme that helps repair cell damage and is known for its role in the regulation of ageing. The improvements in longevity were thus accompanied by a more favourable biochemical profile.
SIRT1 contributes to cellular youthfulness through activation of TERT, the enzyme that produces telomerase and can thereby lengthen or stabilise telomeres, and by cooperating with shelterin-complexes such as TRF2 to preserve telomere structure while reducing oxidative damage.
In short: SIRT1 activates more TERT which in turn increases telomerase. Telomerase is an enzyme complex that can maintain or extend telomere length. It adds specific DNA repeats (TTAGGG in humans) at the end of chromosomes, slowing or reversing the shortening of telomeres during cell division. The study with mice provides an indication that SIRT1 is indirectly responsible for DNA rejuvenation.
SIRT1 functions
SIRT1 enzymes have other functions related to protecting DNA. For those interested, we have a table below showing multiple functions of SIRT1:
| Function area | Effect of SIRT1 | Mechanism / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DNA repair | Promotes DNA repair | Activates proteins such as Ku70 and WRN involved in double-stranded DNA break repair |
| Telomere retention | Supports telomere stability and elongation | Activates the protein TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase); protects telomere structure |
| Ageing & longevity | Slows down cell ageing | Regulates gene expression by deacetylation; activated upon calorie restriction |
| Metabolism & energy | Increases fat burning and insulin sensitivity | Activates PGC-1α (for mitochondria) and inhibits PPAR-γ (fat storage) |
| Brain function & neuroprotection | Increases BDNF, reduces neuroinflammation | Protects neurons via inhibition of oxidative stress; relevant in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease |
| Stress response & survival | Protects cells against oxidative and metabolic stress | Deacetylates p53, FOXO3a and other stress-related proteins |
| Epigenetics | Alters gene expression via histone deacetylation | Changes chromatin structure → genes for repair and survival become more active |
| Inflammation inhibition | Inhibits chronic inflammation | Suppresses NF-κB, a key regulator of inflammatory genes |
| Therapeutic target | Point of entry for anti-aging and metabolic disease control | Activated by resveratrol, NAD⁺-boosters (such as NMN and NR), fisetin, pterostilbene, quercetin |
Possible benefits
For people with metabolic diseases (such as type 2 diabetes) or ageing diseases, higher doses of psilocybin may now be of extra interest. The reason is that, at high doses, psilocybin not only deepens mental perception, but may also improve cell function. If psilocybin can actually also increase telomere length as the study suggests, then people with the disease states listed below could potentially benefit from psilocybin treatments.
| Disease or illness | Description |
|---|---|
| Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) | Severe lung disease with scarring of lung tissue. |
| Aplastic anaemia | Bone marrow failure syndrome in which too few blood cells are produced. |
| Dyskeratosis congenita | Hereditary disease with skin, nail and bone marrow problems due to telomere defect. |
| Leukaemia (e.g. AML, CLL) | Some forms are related to telomere loss in stem cells. |
| Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) | Disorder in the production of blood cells due to bone marrow problems. |
| Liver cirrhosis / liver fibrosis | Telomeres that are too short can prevent regeneration of liver cells. |
| Pulmonary emphysema (non-smokers) | More common in people with telomere diseases, even without smoking history. |
| Early osteoporosis | Loss of bone mass at a relatively young age. |
| Type 2 diabetes | Shortened telomeres are seen more often in people with insulin resistance. |
| Cardiovascular diseases (including atherosclerosis) | Telomere shortening correlates with vascular ageing. |
| Neurodegenerative diseases | As Alzheimer's and Parkinson's (possibly related to telomere erosion). |
| Early hair greying and skin ageing | Especially visible in genetic telomere disorders. |
Perspective
The idea that 'magic mushrooms and truffles' not only expand consciousness but also possibly keep cells young has captured the imagination. Recent research shows that psilocybin extends cell lifespan and protects telomeres. While very plausible, further research needs to show what exactly it does to humans.
At Triptherapie, we continue to monitor developments. For now, the main reasons for working with psilocybin remain other biochemical mechanisms of action, the psychological and spiritual benefits. The fact that psilocybin additionally possibly slows down biological ageing only makes our work more interesting. As soon as more research is available, we will be happy to share our insights with you.
Other mechanisms of action of psilocybin
We have long known that psilocybin does much more on a biochemical level than just cause the trip and that it can potentially rejuvenate cells through other pathways. In fact, psilocybin increases BDNF, Neurogenesis, reduces inflammation and can protect pancreatic cells in diabetes. All these effects of psilocybin contribute to psilocybin's anti-depressant effects at the cellular level. You can read the articles on the different modes of efficacy via the buttons below.
Psilocybin session at Triptherapie
When you do a psilocybin session at Triptherapie, we also consider your goals. Do you want to do a session because of psilocybin's potentially rejuvenating properties? We will then help you with extra tips around your goals. An example is to add fisetin to your diet or as a supplement. Fisetin can work synergistically in combination with psilocybin towards cell rejuvenation. The more you do well around your psychedelic session, the better psilocybin can do its job.
