James Zadina
Professor of Medicine, Director of Neuroscience Laboratory, V. A. Medical Center
Areas of Expertise
Biography
Dr. Zadina's laboratory studies opioids and their mechanisms of action in alleviating pain and inducing side effects, particularly drug abuse. His current focus is on development of novel, safer analgesics based on modifications of naturally occurring opioids discovered in his laboratory (endomorphins). A lead compound has been shown in animal models to provide analgesia equal to or greater than morphine with substantial reduction or absence of several major side effects. These include reduced risk of abuse, respiratory depression, tolerance, pro-inflammatory responses, and side effects of particular importance for older adults, including motor and cognitive impairment. Development of the compound for clinical use is underway.
Articles
Morphine immunomodulation prolongs inflammatory and postoperative pain while the novel analgesic ZH853 accelerates recovery and protects against latent sensitization
2019
Numerous studies have identified the proinflammatory, pronociceptive effects of morphine which ultimately exacerbate pain. Our novel endomorphin analog ZH853 does not produce proinflammatory effects on its own and gives potent, long-lasting analgesia.
Novel Endomorphin Analogs are More Potent and Longer Lasting Analgesics in Neuropathic, Postoperative, Inflammatory, and Visceral Pain Relative to Morphine
2017
Activation of the mu-opioid receptor provides the gold standard for pain relief, but most opioids used clinically have adverse effects that have contributed to an epidemic of overdose deaths. We recently characterized mu-opioid receptor selective endomorphin (EM) analogs that provide potent antinociception with reduction or absence of a number of side effects of traditionally prescribed opioids including abuse liability, respiratory depression, motor impairment, tolerance, and inflammation.
Endomorphin analog analgesics with reduced abuse liability, respiratory depression, motor impairment, tolerance, and glial activation relative to morphine
2015
Opioids acting at the mu opioid receptor (MOR) are the most effective analgesics, however adverse side effects severely limit their use. Of particular importance, abuse liability results in major medical, societal, and economic problems, respiratory depression is the cause of fatal overdoses, and tolerance complicates treatment and increases the risk of side effects.
Viral Vectors Encoding Endomorphins and Serine Histogranin Attenuate Neuropathic Pain Symptoms after Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
2015
The treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced neuropathic pain presents a challenging healthcare problem. The lack of available robust pharmacological treatments underscores the need for novel therapeutic methods and approaches.
PPARγ activation blocks development and reduces established neuropathic pain in rats
2013
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is emerging as a new pharmacotherapeutic target for chronic pain. When oral (3–30 mg/kg/day in chow for 7 wk) or twice-daily intraperitoneal (1–10 mg/kg/day for 2 wk) administration began before spared nerve injury (SNI), pioglitazone, a PPARγ agonist, dose-dependently prevented multiple behavioral signs of somatosensory hypersensitivity.
Media Appearances
VA Announces New “Breakthrough” Painkiller Replacement For Opioids
Some of the more concerning side effects of opioids include addiction and depressed breathing. The developer of the drug, James Zadina, PhD, enjoys dual appointments at VA and Tulane. About the new drug, Zadina said, “A drug that prevents the transition from acute to chronic relapsing pain would represent a true breakthrough in drug development for pain management.”
Addicted to the cure
‘Heroin, when it first came out, was touted to be better than morphine because it won’t be addictive,’ says James Zadina, a medicinal chemist at Tulane University and the Department of Veterans Affairs in New Orleans, US. ‘And we know how well that worked out.’ The ‘logic’ behind the argument for heroin’s superiority was that it was more chemically pure than morphine, or more potent, ‘neither of which is relevant’, Zadina adds.
The Painkillers That Could End the Opioid Crisis
“I get calls saying, ‘I have this terrible pain. When’s your medicine coming?’” Zadina says. “And my response is, ‘I can’t give it to you now. I’m working as fast as I can.’ That’s all I can say. But it’s difficult.”
This New Drug Is as Strong as Morphine, But Without The Side Effects
"These side effects were absent or reduced with the new drug," said pharmacologist and neuroscientist James Zadina from the Tulane University School of Medicine. "It's unprecedented for a peptide to deliver such powerful pain relief with so few side effects."
New powerful, non-addictive painkiller developed
"These side effects were absent or reduced with the new drug," said lead investigator James Zadina, professor at the Tulane University School of Medicine.
