Lamont Booker

Lamont Booker, PhD

Postdoctoral Associate

Education

PhD	2011	Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University
MTox	2005	Toxicology, North Carolina State University
BS	2003	Biology, Fayetteville State University

Research interests

My research interest focuses primarily on the endocannabinoid system, and the regulation thereof. It has been known for more than 20 years that cannabinoids are important research targets, in that they have therapeutic potential for regulating diseases and disorders including pain and inflammation. However, the use of direct acting cannabinoids such as THC, which bind to cannabinoid receptors, has been controversial, due to their undesirable psychoactive effects. On the other hand, direct administration of endocannabinoids is impractical, because these ligands are quickly degraded by regulatory enzymes. Therefore, my goal is to evaluate the indirect activation of the endocannabinoid system, via the use of selective enzyme inhibitors, with the ultimate goal of reducing visceral pain and inflammation.

Publications | Pubmed

Booker L, Kinsey SG, Abdullah RA, Blankman JL, Long JZ, Ezzili C, Boger DL, Cravatt BF, Lichtman AH. The FAAH inhibitor PF-3845 acts in the nervous system to reverse lipopolysaccharide-induced tactile allodynia in mice. Br J Pharmacol. 2011. In press.

Schlosburg JE, Blankman JL, Long JZ, Nomura DK, Pan B, Kinsey SG, Nguyen PT, Ramesh D, Booker L, Burston JJ, Thomas EA, Selley DE, Sim-Selley LJ, Liu Q, Lichtman AH, Cravatt BF. Sustained inactivation of monoacylglycerol lipase produces functional antagonism of the brain endocannabinoid system. Nat Neurosci. 2010 Sep;13(9):1113-9.

Long J.Z., Nomura D.K., Vann R.E., Walentiny D.M., Booker L., Jin X., Burston J.J., Sim-Selley L.J., Lichtman A.H., Wiley J.L., Cravatt B.F. Endocannabinoid crosstalk and its role in mammalian behavior revealed by dual blockade of FAAH and MAGL. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Dec 1;106(48):20270-5.

Booker L, Naidu PS, Razdan RK, Mahadevan A, Lichtman AH. Evaluation of prevalent phytocannabinoids in the acetic acid model of visceral nociception. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2009 Nov 1;105(1-2):42-7.

Naidu PS, Booker L , Cravatt BF, Lichtman AH. Synergy between enzyme inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase and cyclooxygenase in visceral nociception. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2009 Apr;329(1):48-56.

Long, J.Z., Li, W, Booker, L, Burston, J.J., Kinsey, S.G., Schlosburg, J.E., Pavon, F.J., Serrano, A.M., Selley, D.E., Parsons, L.H., Lichtman, A.H., & Cravatt, B.F. Selective blockade of 2-arachidonoylglycerol hydrolysis produces cannabinoid behavioral effects. Nat Chem Biol. 2009 Jan;5(1):37-44.