Lamont Booker

Lamont Booker

Graduate Candidate
email: bookerl@vcu.edu
Curriculum Vitae

Education

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

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 (in press). Proc Natl Acad Sci

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.