Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
January 10, 2025
Juliana Lima Constantino, Jens H van Dalfsen, Sara Massetti et al.
6 citations
A systematic review of nine studies found that psilocybin consistently decreases interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and eosinophils, and increases cortisol, prolactin, oxytocin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and free fatty acids in healthy participants. These biomarker changes align with preclinical evidence and suggest psilocybin may have beneficial effects on biological processes involved in major depressive disorder. However, results are preliminary due to the small number of studies and exclusive use of healthy volunteers. Further research with clinical populations, larger samples, and longer follow-up is needed before drawing firm conclusions.
Psychopharmacology
November 15, 2025
Elisabetta Ciccocioppo, Sara Massetti, Marcus W Meinhardt et al.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a major medical problem with limited treatments. (R)-ketamine, a form of the dissociative psychedelic with fewer dissociative and anesthetic effects than the racemic mixture, reduced alcohol consumption in female but not in male Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats when given orally at doses of 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg in a two-bottle free choice 24-hour drinking paradigm. No effect was observed on alcohol self-administration. (R)-ketamine also attenuated the retrieval of alcohol-related memories in female but not in male rats. These results suggest (R)-ketamine attenuates alcohol-related behaviors in a sex-dependent manner, with females showing higher sensitivity, supporting clinical investigation in patients with AUD.
Journal of affective disorders
July 16, 2026
Sara Massetti, Sanne Y Smith-Apeldoorn, Jolien K E Veraart et al.
Ketamine and its enantiomer esketamine are effective in only 30-35% of patients with treatment-resistant depression. Increased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after a single intravenous dose has been proposed as a biomarker of antidepressant response, but effects under different treatment schedules are unclear. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of six-week, low-dose, oral esketamine (90 mg/day, three 30 mg intakes), depression severity and serum BDNF were measured in 54 patients at baseline, end of treatment, and after a four-week washout. BDNF levels did not significantly differ between esketamine and placebo groups during treatment or washout. An increase in BDNF occurred regardless of treatment condition.