Translational psychiatry
August 6, 2024
Chengyu Wang, Xiaofeng Lan, Weijian Liu et al.
6 citations
Non-improvement after four ketamine infusions, or three consecutive non-improvements after three infusions, reliably predicts overall non-response to a six-dose course of intravenous ketamine for depression. Among 135 individuals with major depressive or bipolar disorder in a current depressive episode, sensitivities for predicting non-response exceeded 90% using these early non-improvement criteria. Those who did not improve by these points showed no significant reduction in depressive symptoms from subsequent infusions. The findings suggest that early non-improvement can guide clinicians to discontinue treatment, avoiding ineffective continued dosing.
CNS neuroscience & therapeutics
March 1, 2025
Zerui You, Xiaofeng Lan, Chengyu Wang et al.
1 citation
Ketamine improves depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder by altering energy metabolism, including changes in adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and pyruvate. The shift in ADP levels strongly correlated with reductions in depression severity scores. Lower baseline levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3) predicted a better response to ketamine, suggesting FT3 may serve as a biological marker for treatment efficacy. These findings come from a study of 40 patients in a discovery cohort and 24 in a validation cohort, using metabolomic analysis of serum samples.
Cell biology and toxicology
January 10, 2025
Nan Zhou, Xiaolei Shi, Runhua Wang et al.
1 citation
Plasma proteomic analysis of 30 major depressive disorder patients before and after two weeks of ketamine treatment identified six proteins pivotal to the drug's antidepressive effect. Immune-response pathways were activated in association with symptom relief. Three pre-treatment proteins strongly predicted which patients would respond to ketamine, offering a potential blood test to personalize treatment.
J Affect Disord
February 23, 2026
Xiaofeng Lan, Zitao Wu, Chengyu Wang et al.
In a randomized controlled trial, adolescents with major depressive disorder who received repeated esketamine infusions showed changes in multiple peripheral inflammatory markers compared to those who received a placebo. The treatment was associated with reductions in certain inflammatory markers, suggesting that esketamine may influence immune system activity in this population. The findings indicate a potential link between the antidepressant effects of esketamine and its impact on inflammation, though the exact relationship requires further investigation.