Scientists in Shanghai have found the molecular mechanism for how ketamine can treat depression as a rapidly acting anti-depressant.

This is expected to pave the way for the development of ketamine-based anti-depressants and more precise therapies for patients.

The research, led by Zhu Shujia at the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, focused on the binding of ketamine and the N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor.