James E Zadina, PhD
Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology & Neuroscience
Contributions
Zadina, J.E., L.Z. Szabo, F. Al-Obeidi, X. Zhang, L. Ferrerira Nakatani, C.Ogbu, M.L. Heien, T. Falk, M.J. Bartlett, R.Polt, Cyclic Glycopeptide Analogs of Endomorphin-1 Provide Highly Effective Antinociception in Male and Female Mice. Medicinal Chemistry Letters 15(10): 1731-1740, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmedchemlett.4c00315
Hunter, T.J., Z.M. Videlefsky, L. Nakatani Ferreira, J.E. Zadina. Comparison of Morphine and Endomorphin Analog ZH853 for Tolerance and Immunomodulation in a Rat Model of Neuropathic Pain. Journal of Pain 25(10) 104607, 2024
10.1016/j.jpain.2024.104607
Amgott-Kwan, Ariel T., and Zadina, J.E. Endomorphin analog ZH853 shows low reward, tolerance, and affective-motivational signs of withdrawal, while inhibiting opioid withdrawal and seeking. Neuropharmacology 227: 109439, 2023.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390823000291
Nilges, M.R. Laurent, M. Cable, C. Arens, L., Vafiades, J. and J.E. Zadina. Discriminative Stimulus and Low Abuse Liability Effects of Novel Endomorphin Analogs Suggest a Potential Treatment Indication for Opioid Use Disorder. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 370: 369-379, 2019:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31213481
Feehan, A.K, and J.E. Zadina. Morphine immunomodulation prolongs inflammatory and postoperative pain while the novel analgesic ZH853 accelerates recovery and protects against latent sensitization. J.Neuroinflammation 16:100-120, 2019. https://jneuroinflammation.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12974-019-1480-x
Feehan, A.K., J. Morgenweck, X. Zhang, A.T. Amgott-Kwan, J.E. Zadina. Novel Endomorphin Analogs Are More Potent and Longer-Lasting Analgesics in Neuropathic, Inflammatory, Postoperative, and Visceral Pain Relative to Morphine. Journal of Pain 18 (12): 1526-1541, 2017.
http://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(17)30698-3/pdf
Zadina, J.E., M.R. Nilges, J. Morgenweck, X. Zhang, L. Hackler, M.B. Fasold. Endomorphin Analog Analgesics with Reduced Abuse Liability, Respiratory Depression, Motor Impairment, Tolerance, and Glial Activation Relative to Morphine. Neuropharmacology 105:215-227, 2016. Neuropharmacology 105:215-227, 2016.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390815302203
Dr. Zadina’s research interests include the neurobiology of opioids and their role in alleviating pain and producing adverse effects, particularly opioid abuse. A current focus is on the development of novel, safer analgesics based on modifications (analogs) of naturally occurring opioids discovered in our laboratory (endomorphins). These analogs have been shown, in animal models, to provide analgesia equal to or greater than morphine with substantial reduction or absence of several major side effects including tolerance, respiratory depression and abuse liability. Recovery from chronic pain is accelerated
compared to treatment with morphine, which has been shown to delay recovery. This is apparently due to reduction of immunomodulatory effects. Several studies have shown reduced or absent abuse liability relative to morphine and oxycodone, as well as the potential for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD).
