Ketamine binding sites (IMAGE)
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How can low-dose ketamine, a ‘lifesaving’ drug for major depression, alleviate symptoms within hours? UB research reveals how
These images demonstrate the different binding sites in NMDA receptors that the UB team has discovered are responsible for ketamine’s distinct clinical effects, as an anesthetic at high doses and as an anti-depressant at very low doses. The image on the left shows ketamine bound in the central pore of the receptor, which results in anesthetic action; the one on the right shows ketamine bound in the lateral sites, which results in anti-depressive action.
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Jamie Abbott/University at Buffalo
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