Mario Agostini
Independent Researcher, Trento, Italy
Publications
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Research Article
Store-Operated Calcium Entry in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells as a Translational Biomarker of CNS Plasticity: A Mechanistic Hypothesis for Neuroplastogen Drug Programs
Author(s): Mario Agostini*
Background: Psychedelic and neuroplastogen drug development programs require biomarkers capable of bridging intracellular pharmacology to clinically interpretable endpoints. Existing peripheral approaches, most notably plasma BDNF measurement, have demonstrated inconsistent results, with meta-analytic evidence reporting only a small, statistically marginal effect size in ketamine responders (SMD 0.26, 95% CI 0.03–0.48, p = 0.02) and no consistent correlation with symptom reduction. Critically, the peripheral biomarker field for neuropsychiatric disorders is characterised by high heterogeneity and systematic effect size inflation, placing a high evidential bar on any new candidate. Hypothesis: We propose that store-operated calcium entry (SOCE), measured in patient-derived PBMCs using validated flow cytometric methods, may serve as a me.. Read More»