Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41998192›Full record

ArticleMolecular psychiatry2026

Rapid rescue of despair behaviors by sonogenetic neuromodulation of the mPFC-DRN pathway.

Ting Lei, Quanxiang Xian, Danni Li, Min Su, Yong Wu, Xuandi Hou, Jianing Jing, Yizhou Jiang, Xiaohui Huang, Kin Fung Wong and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Targeted Mechanogenetics to Modulate Specific Deep Neural Circuits.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Ting Lei *Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Quanxiang Xian *Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Danni LiDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Min SuDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Yong WuDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Xuandi HouDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9718-6539
Jianing JingDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Yizhou JiangDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Xiaohui HuangDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Kin Fung WongDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Jiejun ZhuDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Jinghui GuoDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Zhihai QiuDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Lei SunDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China. lei.sun@polyu.edu.hk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7047-9529

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sonogenetics combines genetic tools and low-intensity ultrasound to non-invasively modulate specific neuronal populations and circuits, exhibiting potential for treating brain diseases. This study examines sonogenetics' potential in a mouse depression model, targeting excitatory medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons projecting to the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Projecting neurons were induced to express a mechanosensitive ion channel (MscL-G22S), and alterations in patterns of neuronal activation and despair-like behaviors upon sonication were evaluated. Sonogenetics selectively activated targeted excitatory mPFC neurons projecting to the DRN, enhancing real-time DRN neuronal activity and serotonin release, with no observed tissue damage or astrocytic/microglial activation. Tail suspension and forced swim tests revealed that sonogenetically activating this pathway rapidly reversed despair-like behaviors in stressed mice, whereas effects observed upon mPFC sonication were abrogated by functionally silencing downstream DRN neurons, and this effect is fully recapitulated by selective inhibition of DRN serotonergic neurons alone. Collectively, this study constitutes the first demonstration of the potential for a circuit-targeted sonogenetic therapeutic approach for relieving despair behaviors.

Indexed as

DepressionDorsal Raphe NucleusPrefrontal CortexAnimalsBehavior, AnimalDisease Models, AnimalHindlimb SuspensionMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLNeural PathwaysNeuronsSerotonergic NeuronsSerotoninSerotonin

Identifiers

PMID41998192
PMCPMC13442019

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.