Review proposes ketamine lifts humanin to restore astrocyte mitochondria

The wire

1. 01Anderson and colleagues argue ketamine's antidepressant efficacy arises from direct effects on astrocyte mitochondria, with upregulation of adenosine, humanin and melatonin at stress-vulnerable sites.
2. 02Humanin is among the mitochondrial-derived peptides readers track for longevity and neuroprotection; the paper frames it as a downstream mediator of an established psychiatric drug.
3. 03This is a literature review and hypothesis paper, not new experimental data; the proposed inner-mitochondrial-membrane NMDA receptor mechanism remains untested.

From the source

Low Dose Ketamine Preconditions Astrocyte Mitochondria to Achieve Antidepressant Efficacy via Adenosine, Humanin, and Melatonin Upregulation and Efflux

Alpha psychiatry · 2026 Aug · Anderson G et al.