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...
Journal of Neuroendocrinology
2026
Hiroe Hu, Yoojin Lee, Alaina N Tillman et al.
1 citation
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) modulates stress responsivity and social-affective behaviors, but its role in mood and trauma-related disorders remains poorly defined due to challenges in peripheral measurement. This study used copeptin, a stable, reliable, and well-validated surrogate marker of AVP secretion, to assess vasopressinergic function in a transdiagnostic sample of individuals...
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
August 22, 2025
P. Manza, Annabelle M. Belcher, Heather Fitzsimons et al.
ABSTRACT Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic relapsing condition with a high mortality rate. While medications such as methadone are valuable first-line therapies, retention is poor, with the highest dropout rates early in a treatment attempt. Poor outcomes are due in part to the very high rates of co-morbid depression in people with OUD, as depression can drive opioid use....
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
July 13, 2024
Jenessa N Johnston, Carlos A. Zarate, Mark D Kvarta
18 citations
The discovery of racemic (R, S)-ketamine as a rapid-acting antidepressant and the subsequent FDA approval of its (S)-enantiomer, esketamine, for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) are significant advances in the development of novel neuropsychiatric therapeutics. Esketamine is now recognized as a powerful tool for addressing persistent symptoms of TRD compared to traditional oral...