Adenosine signaling: the convergent hub in antidepressant action.

A groundbreaking study by Yue et al. reveals adenosine signaling as the convergent mechanism underlying the rapid antidepressant effects of both ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy. This discovery not only resolves a longstanding mechanistic puzzle but also opens new therapeutic avenues, including novel ketamine derivatives and nonpharmacological interventions that harness adenosine's antidepressant potential.