Biography

Dr. Hohmann is a Linda and Jack Gill Chair and Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University. She received her Sc.B. (1988), Sc.M. (1993) and Ph.D. (1996) from Brown University. Her NIH-funded research program focuses on understanding cannabinoid mechanisms for pain suppression using rodent models. Dr. Hohmann completed her Ph.D. in the laboratory of Dr. J. Michael Walker where her work first demonstrated that cannabinoids suppress activity in nociceptive neurons. Dr. Hohmann trained as a postdoctoral fellow with Miles Herkenham (NIMH) in the Section on Functional Neuroanatomy at the National Institute of Mental Health. Here, her work mapped locations of cannabinoid receptors in sensory pathways and identified phenotypes of cells bearing cannabinoid receptors. She served as a staff scientist in Dr. M.A. Ruda's laboratory in the Pain and Neurosensory Mechanisms Branch of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Her laboratory was the first to demonstrate that activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors suppresses the processing of nociceptive information. Her laboratory also demonstrated that endogenous cannabis-like substances are mobilized in the brain to produce adaptive changes in pain responsiveness, a phenomenon known as stress-induced analgesia. This work identified the enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase as a previously unrecognized analgesic target. She was promoted to the rank of Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Georgia in 2009 and joined the faculty at Indiana University in 2010. She received the Young Investigator Award (2007) from the International Cannabinoid Research Society and the Creative Research Medal (2006) and William A. Owens Research Awards (2010) from the University of Georgia Research Foundation.

Publications

  • Lin, X., Dhopeshwarkar. A., Hubregtse, M., Mackie, K. and Hohmann, A.G. (2018) Slowly signaling G protein-biased CB2 cannabinoid receptor agonist LY2828360 suppresses neuropathic pain with sustained efficacy and attenuates morphine tolerance and dependence. Molecular Pharmacology 93: 49-62. https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.117.109355.
  • Slivicki, R., Xu, Z., Kulkarni, P., Pertwee, R., Mackie, K., Thakur, G. and Hohmann, A.G. (2017) Positive allosteric modulation of cannabinoid receptor type 1 suppresses pathological pain without producing tolerance or dependence. Biological Psychiatryhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.06.032.
  • Lee, W.-H., Li, L., Chawla, A., Hudmon, A., Lai, Y.Y., Courtney, M.J. and Hohmann, A.G. (2017) Disruption of nNOS-NOS1AP protein-protein interactions suppresses neuropathic pain in mice. Pain, in press. http://dx.coi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001152.
  • Carey, L.M., Gutierrez, T., Deng L., Lee, W.-H., Mackie, K., and Hohmann, A.G. (2017) Inflammatory and neuropathic nociception is preserved in GPR55 Knockout Mice. Scientific Reports 7:944. Doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-01062-2. PMID: 28428628. http://rdcu.be/ruXl. PMCID: PMC5430528.
  • Carey, L.M., Lee, W.H., Gutierrez, T., Kulkarni, P.M., Thakur, G.A., Lai, Y.Y. and Hohmann, A.G. (2017) Small molecule inhibitors of PSD95-nNOS protein-protein interactions suppress formalin-evoked Fos protein expression and nociceptive behaviors in rats. Neuroscience 349: 303-317. http://dx.doi.org/10/1016/j.neuroscience.2017.02.055. NIHMSID863173. PMCID: PMC5154848.
  • Li, A., Carey, L.M., Mackie, K. and Hohmann, A.G. (2017) The cannabinoid CB2 agonist GW405833 suppresses inflammatory and neuropathic pain through a CB1 mechanism that is independent of CB2 receptors in mice. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 362 (2) 296-305. doi: 10.1124/jpet.117.241901. PMCID PMC5502377.
    Lee, W.-H., Li, L., Chawla, A., Hudmon, A., Lai, Y.Y., Courtney, M.J. and Hohmann, A.G. (2018) Disruption of nNOS-NOS1AP protein-protein interactions suppresses neuropathic pain in mice. Pain, in press. http://dx.coi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001152.
  • Lin, X., Dhopeshwarkar. A., Hubregtse, M., Mackie, K. and Hohmann, A.G. (2018) Slowly signaling G protein-biased CB2 cannabinoid receptor agonist LY2828360 suppresses neuropathic pain with sustained efficacy and attenuates morphine tolerance and dependence. Molecular Pharmacology 93: 49-62 (https://dooi.org/10.1124/mol.117.109355. PMID: 29192123. PMCID In progress.
  • Crystal JD, Alford WT, Zhou W, Hohmann A.G. Source memory in the rat. Curr Biol. 2013;23:387-91.
  • Guindon J, Lai Y, Takacs SM, Bradshaw HB, Hohmann A.G. Alterations in endocannabinoid tone following chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: effects of endocannabinoid deactivation inhibitors targeting fatty-acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase in comparison to reference analgesics following cisplatin treatment. Pharmacol Res. 2013;67:94-109.
  • Guindon J, Hohmann A.G. Use of sodium bicarbonate to promote weight gain, maintain body temperature, normalize renal functions and minimize mortality in rodents receiving the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. Neurosci Lett. 2013.
  • Deng L, Guindon J, Vemuri VK, Thakur GA, White FA, Makriyannis A, Hohmann A.G. The maintenance of cisplatin- and paclitaxel-induced mechanical and cold allodynia is suppressed by cannabinoid CB(2) receptor activation and independent of CXCR4 signaling in models of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Mol Pain. 2012;8:71.
  • Gregg LC, Jung KM, Spradley JM, Nyilas R, Suplita RL, 2nd, Zimmer A, Watanabe M, Mackie K, Katona I, Piomelli D, Hohmann A.G. Activation of type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptors and diacylglycerol lipase-alpha initiates 2-arachidonoylglycerol formation and endocannabinoid-mediated analgesia. J Neurosci. 2012;32:9457-68.
  • Zhou W, Hohmann A.G, Crystal JD. Rats answer an unexpected question after incidental encoding. Curr Biol. 2012;22:1149-53.
  • Guindon J, Hohmann A.G. The endocannabinoid system and cancer: therapeutic implication. Br J Pharmacol. 2011;163:1447-63.
  • Gutierrez T, Crystal JD, Zvonok AM, Makriyannis A, Hohmann A.G. Self-medication of a cannabinoid CB2 agonist in an animal model of neuropathic pain. Pain. 2011;152:1976-87.
  • Sciolino NR, Zhou W, Hohmann A.G. Enhancement of endocannabinoid signaling with JZL184, an inhibitor of the 2-arachidonoylglycerol hydrolyzing enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase, produces anxiolytic effects under conditions of high environmental aversiveness in rats. Pharmacol Res. 2011;64:226-34.
  • Guindon J, Guijarro A, Piomelli D, Hohmann A.G. Peripheral antinociceptive effects of inhibitors of monoacylglycerol lipase in a rat model of inflammatory pain. Br J Pharmacol. 2011;163:1464-78.
  • Rahn EJ, Thakur GA, Wood JA, Zvonok AM, Makriyannis A, Hohmann A.G. Pharmacological characterization of AM1710, a putative cannabinoid CB2 agonist from the cannabilactone class: antinociception without central nervous system side-effects. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2011;98:493-502.
  • Clapper JR, Moreno-Sanz G, Russo R, Guijarro A, Vacondio F, Duranti A, Tontini A, Sanchini S, Sciolino NR, Spradley JM, Hohmann A.G, Calignano A, Mor M, Tarzia G, Piomelli D. Anandamide suppresses pain initiation through a peripheral endocannabinoid mechanism. Nat Neurosci. 2010;13:1265-70.
  • Sciolino NR, Bortolato M, Eisenstein SA, Fu J, Oveisi F, Hohmann A.G, Piomelli D. Social isolation and chronic handling alter endocannabinoid signaling and behavioral reactivity to context in adult rats. Neuroscience. 2010;168:371-86.
  • Spradley JM, Guindon J, Hohmann A.G. Inhibitors of monoacylglycerol lipase, fatty-acid amide hydrolase and endocannabinoid transport differentially suppress capsaicin-induced behavioral sensitization through peripheral endocannabinoid mechanisms. Pharmacol Res. 2010;62:249-58.
  • Eisenstein, S.A., Clapper, J., Holmes, P.V., Piomelli, D. and Hohmann, A.G. (2010) A role for 2-arachidonoylglycerol and endocannabinoid signaling in the locomotor response to novelty induced by olfactory bulbectomy. Pharmacological Research 61: 419-429.
  • Guindon, J. and Hohmann, A.G. (2009) The endocannabinoid system and pain. CNS & Neurological Disorders-Drug Target 8 (6) 403-421.
  • Rahn, E.J. and Hohmann, A.G. (2009) Cannabinoids as pharmacotherapies for neuropathic pain: from the bench to the bedside. Neurotherapeutics 6: 713-737.
  • Rahn, E.J., Zvonok, A.M., Thakur, G., Khanolkar, A.D. Makriyannis, A. and Hohmann, A.G. (2008) Selective activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors suppresses neuropathic nociception evoked by the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel in rats. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 327: 584-591.
  • Moise, A.M., Eisenstein, S.A., Astarita, G., Piomelli, D. and Hohmann, A.G. (2008) An endocannabinoid signaling system modulates anxiety-like behavior in male Syrian hamsters. Psychopharmacology 200: 333-346.
    Suplita II, R.L., Farthing, J., Gutierrez, T. and Hohmann, A.G. (2005) Inhibition of fatty-acid amide hydrolase enhances cannabinoid stress-induced analgesia: Sites-of-action in the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray and rostral ventromedial medulla. Neuropharmacology 49:1201-1209.
  • Hohmann, A.G., Suplita II, R.L., Bolton, N.M., Neely, M.H., Fegley, D., Mangieri, R., Krey, J.F., Walker, J.M., Holmes, P.V., Crystal, J.D., Duranti, A., Tontini, M., Tarzia G. and Piomelli, D. (2005) An endocannabinoid mechanism for stress-induced analgesia. Nature 435: 1108-1112.
  • Nackley, A.G., Zvonok, A.M., Makriyannis, A., and Hohmann, A.G. (2004) Activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors suppresses C-fiber responses and windup in spinal wide dynamic range neurons in the absence and presence of inflammation. Journal of Neurophysiology 92: 3562-3574.
  • Nackley, A.G., Makriyannis, A. and Hohmann, A.G. (2003) Selective activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors suppresses spinal Fos protein expression and pain behavior in a rat model of inflammation. Neuroscience 119: 747-757.

View additional publications