Research Square
February 12, 2026
Jenessa N Johnston, Greg Jones, Shiyong Peng et al.
preprint
Rapid-acting antidepressants like ketamine and serotonergic psychedelics show promise for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but the molecular mechanisms that contribute to their therapeutic effects remain unclear. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer a platform to model human cortical neurons and investigate drug effects in a human-relevant system. Here, iPSCs from individuals with...
Translational Psychiatry
November 18, 2025
Jenessa N Johnston, Peixiong Yuan, Bashkim Kadriu et al.
2 citations
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is associated with worse clinical outcomes and longer course of illness. However, TRD is more difficult to model in animal phenotypes, suggesting that other experimental and translational models must be considered to properly address and research novel therapeutics. Reelin, an endogenous glycoprotein downregulated in depression, has shown rapid...
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
July 1, 2025
Brandi Quintanilla, Dede Greenstein, Ashutosh Tripathi et al.
7 citations
Recent evidence suggests that the rapid-acting antidepressant ketamine has immune regulatory functions. The complement system is an important component of the innate immune response and plays a key role in synaptic plasticity. An increase in complement component 3 (C3) expression was previously found in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with depression. Given the complement system's role in...
Molecular Psychiatry
September 1, 2024
Brandi Quintanilla, Carlos A. Zarate, Anilkumar Pillai
17 citations
Over 300 million people worldwide suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD). Unfortunately, only 30-40% of patients with MDD achieve complete remission after conventional monoamine antidepressant therapy. In recent years, ketamine has revolutionized the treatment of MDD, with its rapid antidepressant effects manifesting within a few hours as opposed to weeks with conventional antidepressants....
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
February 24, 2023
Brandi Quintanilla, Gustavo C Medeiros, D. Greenstein et al.
Abstract Background Preclinical evidence indicates that the κ-opioid receptor (KOR)/dynorphin pathway is implicated in depressive-like behaviors. Ketamine is believed to partly exert its antidepressant effects by modulating the opioid system. This post hoc study examined the following research questions: (1) at baseline, were there differences in KOR or dynorphin plasma levels between...