Selected Publications

Pain

Hu X, Huang F, and Wang ZJ, CaMKIIα mediates the effect of IL-17 to promote ongoing spontaneous and evoked pain in multiple sclerosis, J Neurosci 2018, 38 (1) 232-244.PMC5761434

He Y, Wilkie DJ, Nazari J, Wang R, Messing RO, DeSimone J, Molokie RE, Wang ZJ. PKCdelta-targeted intervention relieves chronic pain in a murine sickle cell disease model. J Clin Invest 2016, 126, 3053-7. PMC4966317

He Y, Chen Y, Tian, X, Yang, C, Lu J, Xiao C, Desimone J, Wilkie DE, Molokie R, Wang ZJ, CaMKIIα underlies the spontaneous and evoked pain behaviors in Berkeley sickle cell transgenic mice. Pain 2016, 157(12):2798-2806. PMC4363388

He Y & Wang ZJ (2015) Nociceptor Beta II, Delta, and Epsilon Isoforms of PKC Differentially Mediate Paclitaxel-Induced Spontaneous and Evoked Pain. J Neurosci 35(11):4614-4625. PMC4363388

Corder G, Doolen S, Donahue RR, Winter MK, Jutras BL, He Y, Hu X, Wieskopf JS, Mogil JS, Storm DR, Wang ZJ, McCarson KE, Taylor BK, Constitutive mu-opioid receptor activity leads to long-term endogenous analgesia and dependence. Science 2013, 341 (6152), 1394-9. PMC4440417

He Y, Porreca F, and Wang ZJ, Negative reinforcement reveals spontaneous pain in mice with tissue or nerve injury, J Pain 2012, 13(6):598-607. PMC3367085

Chen Y, Yang, C, Wang ZJ, Proteinase-activated receptor 2 sensitizes TRPV1, TRPV4 and TRPA1 in paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain. Neuroscience, 2011; 193: 440-451. PMID: 21763756

Chen Y, Yang C, and Wang ZJ, CAMKIIα is required for the initiation and maintenance of opioid-induced hyperalgesia. J Neurosci 2010;30:38-46. PMC2821163

Chen Y, Yang C, Luo F, Kirkmire CM, Wang ZJ, Acute inhibition of Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II reverses experimental neuropathic pain in mice. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2009; 330(2):650-659. PMC2713096.

Luo, F, Cheng, Y, Chen, Y, Shukla PK, Tang L, Wang, LX, Wang ZJ, Reversal of chronic inflammatory pain by acute inhibition of Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2008;325: 267-275.

Tang L, Chen, Y, Chen Z, Blumberg PM, Kozikowski AP, Wang ZJ, Antinociceptive pharmacology of N-(4-chlorobenzyl)-N-(4-hydroxy-3-iodo-5-methoxybenzyl) thiourea (IBTU), a high-affinity competitive antagonist of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 receptor, J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2007; 321(2): 791-798.

Wang Z, Gardell LR, Ossipov MH, Vanderah TW, Brennan MB, Hochgeschwender U, Hruby VJ, Malan Jr TP, Lai J, Porreca F. Propociceptive actions of dynorphin maintain chronic neuropathic pain. J Neurosci. 2001;21:1779-86.

Addiction/Opioid tolerance, dependence, and hyperalgesia

Hu X, Tian X, Guo X, He Y, Chen H, Zhou J, and Wang ZJ, AMPA Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulators Attenuate Morphine Tolerance and Dependence, Neuropharmacology (In press)

Hu X, Huang F, Szymusiak M, Liu Y and Wang ZJ, PLGA-curcumin attenuates opioid-induced hyperalgesia and inhibits spinal CaMKIIα, PLOS One, 2016; 11(1):e0146393. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146393. PMID: 26744842

Li Z, Li C, Yin P, Wang ZJ, Luo F. Inhibition of CaMKIIalpha in the Central Nucleus of Amygdala Attenuates Fentanyl-Induced Hyperalgesia in Rats. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2016; 359: 82-9.

Hu X, Huang F, Szymusiak M, Liu Y, & Wang ZJ, Curcumin attenuates opioid tolerance and dependence by inhibiting Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha activity. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2015; 352(3):420-428.

Yang C, Chen Y, Tang, L, Wang ZJ, Haloperidol disrupts opioid antinociceptive tolerance and physical dependence, J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2011;338(1):164-72. PMID: 21436292

He Y, Yang C, Kirkmire CM, and Wang ZJ, Regulation of opioid tolerance by let-7 family microRNA targeting the mu opioid receptor. J Neurosci 2010;30(30):10251-8. PMC2943348

Tang L, Shukla PK, Wang ZJ, Disruption of opioid dependence by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeting neurogranin, Brain Res 2007; 1143: 78-82.

Tang L, Shukla PK, Wang LX, Wang ZJ. Reversal of morphine antinociceptive tolerance and dependence by the acute supraspinal inhibition of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2006;317:901-909.

Pain Genetics

Jhun EH*, Sadhu N*, He Y, Yao Y, Wilkie DJ, Molokie RE, and Wang ZJ. S100B single nucleotide polymorphisms exhibit sex-specific associations with chronic pain in sickle cell disease in a largely African-American cohort. PLoS One, 2020, 15(5): e0232721.

Sadhu N, Jhun EH, Posen Andrew, Yao Y, He Y, Wilkie DJ, Molokie RE, and Wang ZJ. Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene polymorphisms associate with crisis pain in sickle cell disease patients. Pharmacogenomics, 2020, 21(4): 269-278.

Jhun EH*, Sadhu N*, Hu X, Yao Y, He Y, Wilkie DJ, Molokie RE, and Wang ZJ. Beta2-adrenergic receptor polymorphisms and haplotypes associate with chronic pain in sickle cell disease. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2019, 10:84.

Jhun EH*, Hu X*, Sadhu, N, Yao Y, He Y, Wilkie DJ, Molokie RE, and Wang, ZJ, Transient receptor potential polymorphism and haplotype associate with crisis pain in sickle cell disease. Pharmacogenomics 2018;19(5):401-411. PMID: 29620434

Keesha L Powell-Roach, Ph.D.; Yingwei Yao; Ellie H. Jhun; Ying He; Marie L. Suarez; Miriam O. Ezenwa; Robert E. Molokie; Zaijie J Wang; Diana J. Wilkie, Vasopressin SNP pain factors and stress in sickle cell disease, PLOS ONE, 2019, 14(11):e0224886.

Roach, KL, Hershberger P, Rutherford J, Molokie RE, Wang ZJ, and Wilkie DJ, The AVPR1A Gene and its Single Nucleotide Polymorphism rs10877969: A Literature Review of Associations with Health Conditions and Pain. Journal of Pain Management Nursing 2018; 9042: 30336-3.

Jhun EH*, Sadhu N*, Yao Y, He Y, Wilkie DJ, Molokie RE, and Wang ZJ, Glucocorticoid receptor single nucleotide polymorphisms predict acute crisis pain in sickle cell disease. Pharmacogenomics, 2018;19(13):1003-1011

Sadhu N, Jhun EH, Yao Y, He Y, Wilkie DJ, Molokie RE, and Wang ZJ, Single nucleotide polymorphisms of GCH1 associates with sickle cell disease pain in African Americans. Experimental Hematology, 2018;66:42-49.

Hu X*, Jhun EH*, Yao Y, He Y, Molokie RE, Wilkie DJ, Wang ZJ, IL1A rs1800587 associates with chronic noncrisis pain in sickle cell disease. Pharmacogenomics 2016; 17:1999-2006.

Jhun E, Yao Y, He Y, Molokie RE, Wilkie DJ, Wang ZJ, Prevalence of pain-related single nucleotide polymorphisms in African American patients with sickle cell disease. Pharmacogenomics 2015: 1795-1806. PMID:26555434

Jhun E, He Y, Yao Y, Molokie RE, Wilkie DJ, Wang ZJ, Dopamine D3 receptor Ser9Gly and catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphisms and acute pain in sickle cell disease. Anesthesia & Analgesia 2014; 119(5):1201-7. PMID: 25102390

Uhl GR, Sora I, Wang Z. The mu opiate receptor as a candidate gene for pain: polymorphisms, variations in expression, nociception, and opiate responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA1999; 96:7752-7755.

Pain/Translational and Clinical Research

Wilkie DJ, Ezenwa MO, Yao Y, Gill A, Hipp T, Shea R, Miller J, Carrasco J, Shuey D, Zhao Z, Angulo V, Suarez ML, McCurry T, Martin J, Molokie RE, Wang ZJ, Pain Intensity and Misconceptions Among Hospice Patients With Cancer and Their Caregivers: Status After 2 Decades. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. The American journal of hospice & palliative care 2017; 34(4):318-324. PMID: 27006391

Molokie RE, Montminy C, Dionisio C, Farooqui MA, Gowhari, M, Yao Y, Suarez ML, Ezenwa MO,Wang, ZJ, Wilkie, DJ, Opioid Doses and Acute Care Utilization Outcomes for Adults with Sickle Cell Disease: Emergency Department versus Acute Care Center. Am J Emerg Med 2018;36 (1), 88-92. PMID: 28802541

Wilkie DJ, Kim YO, Molokie, RE, Suarez ML, Ngamkham S, Wang E, Wang ZJ. Composite Pain Index (CPI): Reliability, Validity, and Sensitivity of a Patient-Reported Outcome for Research. Pain Medicine 2015;16(7):1341-8.

Molokie RE, Wilkie DJ, Wittert H, Suarez ML, Yao Y, Zhao Z, He Y and Wang ZJ, Mechanism-Driven Phase I Translational Study of Trifluoperazine in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease. Eur J Pharmacol 2014;723:419-24.

Wang ZJ, Molokie RE, & Wilkie DJ, Does cold hypersensitivity increase with age in sickle cell disease? Pain 2014; 155(12):2439-2440.

Molokie RE, Wang ZJ, and Wilkie DJ, Presence of neuropathic pain as an underlying mechanism for pain associated with weather changes in patients with sickle cell disease, Medical Hypotheses, 2011, 77(4), 491-493. PMID: 21763079.

Wilkie DJ., Molokie R., Boyd-Seale D., Suarez ML., Kim YO., Zong S., Wittert H., Zhao Z., Saunthararajah Y., & Wang ZJ. Patient-Reported Outcomes: Descriptors of Nociceptive and Neuropathic Pain and Barriers to Effective Pain Management in Adult Outpatients with Sickle Cell Disease. J Nat Med Assoc 2010, 102: 18-27.

Bioengineering and Targeted Delivery

Szymusiak M, Hu X, Plata PL, Ciupinski P, Wang ZJ, Liu Y, Bioavailability of Curcumin and Curcumin Glucuronide in the Central Nervous System of Mice after Oral Delivery of Nano-Curcumin, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2016, 511: 415-423. PMID: 27426105

Shen H, Hu, X, Szymusiak, M, Wang, Z*, Liu, Y* , Orally Administrated Nano-curcumin to Attenuate Morphine Tolerance and Dependence: Comparison between Negatively Charged PLGA and Partially and Fully PEGylated Nanoparticles, Mol Pharma, 2013 Dec 2;10(12):4546-4551.

Zhang Y, Wang ZJ, and Gemeinhart RA, Progress in MicroRNA Nonviral Delivery, Journal of Controlled Release 2013;172(3):962-74. PMC3891846

Lu J, Jeon E, Lee BS, Onyuksel H, Wang ZJ. Targeted drug delivery crossing cytoplasmic membranes of intended cells via ligand-grafted sterically stabilized liposomes. Journal of Controlled Release 2006; 110(3):505-513. PMID: 16356575.

Natural Product Pharmacology

Spindola HM, Grando R, Figueiredo MC, Basting R, Queiroz NCA, de Fátima A, de Carvalho JE, Wang ZJ, Foglio MA, Derivatives of furanditerpenes from Pterodon genus: Pharmacological studies disclose their potential as chronic pain relief in mice, Eur J Pharmacol 2017; 804:68-77. PMID: 28322839

Webster DE, He Y, Chen S-N, Pauli GF, Farnsworth NR, and Wang ZJ, Opioidergic mechanisms underlying the actions of Vitex agnus-castus L. Biochem Pharmacol2011 Jan 1;81(1):170-7.

Rhyu M, Lu J, Webster DE, Fabricant DS, Farnsworth NR, Wang ZJ, Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa) behaves as a mixed competitive ligand and partial agonist at the human mu opiate receptor. J Agr Food Chem 2006; 54:9852-9857.

Webster DE, Lu J, Chen SN, Farnsworth NR, Wang ZJ. Activation of the mu-opiate receptor by Vitex agnus-castus methanol extracts: implication for its use in PMS. J Ethnopharmacol 2006; 106:216-221. PMID: 16439081.