Ketamine for Depression: Long-Lasting Relief?
- Approximately 10% of individuals in the United States currently experience major depressive disorder (MDD),with nearly 20% facing MDD symptoms during their lives.
- Standard antidepressant treatments are ineffective for about 30% of those with MDD.
- New research from Lisa Monteggia and Ege Kavalali, published in Science, indicates that the antidepressant efficacy of a single ketamine dose can be extended considerably, from about...
Discover groundbreaking research on ketamine for depression.A new study reveals how a single dose of ketamine coudl offer extended relief from major depressive disorder (MDD), a condition impacting millions in the U.S. This innovative approach targets intracellular signaling to prolong ketamine’s antidepressant effects, potentially transforming treatment for individuals facing MDD. Researchers found that by increasing ERK activity, the efficacy of ketamine could be sustained for up to two months. This discovery, explored in Science, offers new hope for those who find existing treatments insufficient. News Directory 3 is following the latest developments. Explore the study’s innovative method and discover what’s next in the fight against depression.
Ketamine Shows Promise in Treating Major Depression,Study Finds
Updated May 25,2025
Approximately 10% of individuals in the United States currently experience major depressive disorder (MDD),with nearly 20% facing MDD symptoms during their lives. Despite its widespread occurrence, current treatments for major depression often prove inadequate for many.
Standard antidepressant treatments are ineffective for about 30% of those with MDD. Ketamine, administered in low doses, has demonstrated remarkable and rapid antidepressant action, even in patients resistant to other treatments. Though, maintaining these effects requires consistent ketamine infusions, perhaps leading to side effects like dissociative behaviors and addiction. Relapse can also occur upon stopping treatment.
New research from Lisa Monteggia and Ege Kavalali, published in Science, indicates that the antidepressant efficacy of a single ketamine dose can be extended considerably, from about a week to provided that two months. The study offers new insights into major depression treatment.
“The study’s premise was based on a testable mechanistic model we developed that accounts for ketamine’s rapid antidepressant action,” said Monteggia, Lee E. Limbird Chair in Pharmacology and Barlow Family Director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute.
Previous research established that ketamine’s antidepressant effect requires activation of the ERK signaling pathway. Inhibiting ERK only abolished ketamine’s long-term effects, not its rapid ones. Researchers hypothesized that enhancing ERK activity could prolong ketamine’s effects, as ketamine relies on ERK-dependent synaptic plasticity for its rapid behavioral effects.
Zhenzhong Ma, a research assistant professor working with Monteggia, discovered that ketamine’s antidepressant effects could be sustained for up to two months using a drug called BCI. BCI inhibits a protein phosphatase, resulting in increased ERK activity. By inhibiting the phosphatase, the researchers maintained ERK’s activity and augmented the synaptic plasticity driving ketamine’s prolonged antidepressant effects.
While the use of BCI may complicate clinical applications, Monteggia noted that the results provide proof of principle that ketamine’s antidepressant action can be sustained by targeting intracellular signaling. She and Kavalali hope this research will encourage further studies to identify specific molecules that enhance and sustain the action of a single ketamine dose, ultimately improving the lives of MDD patients by reducing the burden of frequent treatment.
What’s next
Future research will focus on identifying specific molecules to enhance and sustain the effects of a single dose of ketamine,potentially leading to improved treatments for major depression.