Yali He

A ketamine derivative exerts enhanced antidepressant effects via adenosine signaling.

Science China. Life sciences October 22, 2026 Na Wang, Chenyu Yue, Xiaofeng Fan et al.

Ketamine exerts rapid antidepressant effects but is limited by dissociative and abuse-related side effects, highlighting the need for safer alternatives. Here, we identify 3C-DCK, a rationally designed ketamine derivative, through adenosine dynamics in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Using the GRABAdo1.0 sensor, we show that 3C-DCK elicits more potent and sustained extracellular adenosine...