Post-trauma drug blocks fear response in female mice, study shows
A new report published in Brain Medicine reveals that a single dose of the drug Osanetant, administered shortly after a traumatic event, significantly dampens fear expression in female mice. The findings provide strong preclinical support for using Nk3R antagonism as a sex-specific, time-sensitive intervention to reduce the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Fear memory is a core feature of PTSD, especially when neutral cues become emotionally loaded after trauma.
The research team from the Institut de Neurociències of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona explored how fear consolidation could be interrupted shortly after exposure to stress, using Osanetant—a selective blocker of the neurokinin 3 receptor (Nk3R), which is part of the Tachykinin 2 (Tac2) pathway involved in emotional regulation.
