John M. Streicher, PhD

Member of the Graduate Faculty

Professor, Neuroscience - GIDP

Professor, Pharmacology

jstreicher@arizona.edu

Documents

Degrees

BS: George Fox University, 1999
MS: Oregon Health and Science University, 2002
PhD: University of California – Los Angeles, 2009

Awards

Gabriel and Streicher (2023) selected for the cover of the April 11, 2023 issue of Science Signaling.
International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC) Young Investigator Award, 2022
UA Undergraduate Biology Research Program Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, 2020-2021
Duron et al. (2020) selected for the cover of the May 5, 2020 issue of Science Signaling
Cyagen Animal Model Award, August 2017
Lei et al. (2017) (Journal of Biological Chemistry) featured in the July 21, 2017 issue of the trade journal Chemicals & Chemistry (pg. 1974-1975)
Travel Award, International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC), July 2017
Travel Award, International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC), July 2016
Travel Award, International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC), June 2015
Travel Award, International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC), July 2014
Abstract (Moses-Fynn et al. 2014) selected for special publicity at the 30th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
ASPET Young Scientist Travel Award, Experimental Biology Conference, April 2011
Streicher et al. (2010) (Circulation Research) featured on MDLinx.com, a research indexing site for physicians
Department of Molecular Medicine (DMM) Excellence in Science Award for Best Poster Presentation, DMM Annual Retreat, March 2009
Best Poster Presentation Award, 4th Annual Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Retreat, March 2008
Graduate With Science Honors, magna cum laude, George Fox University, 1999

Research Interests

Dr. Streicher is interested in understanding the molecular signal transduction cascades downstream of opioid, adenosine, and orphan receptors in chronic pain. His research program focuses on finding new signaling regulators of these receptors, determining their molecular mechanisms, and then determining how these molecular mechanisms result in changes to analgesia and side effects in different pain states. He further uses this information to create novel drug discovery strategies to create new painkillers without the side effect drawbacks of current drugs, like addiction. His research approaches encompass the creation of pain states such as post-surgical pain and the measurement of analgesia in these pain states, combined with state-of-the-art approaches to modulate novel signaling regulators in mice including CRISPR/Cas9 in the brain and spinal cord. He also screens drugs in medium- to high-throughput formats in cell models to find and develop new analgesic drugs.

Publications

Seekins, Caleb A, et al. “Select Terpenes from Cannabis Sativa Are Antinociceptive in Mouse Models of Post-Operative Pain and Fibromyalgia via Adenosine A Receptors.”. Pharmacol Rep, vol. 77, no. 1, Feb. 2025, pp. 172-81, https://doi.org/10.1007/s43440-024-00687-1.

Schwarz, Abigail M, et al. “Terpene Blends from Cannabis Sativa Are Cannabimimetic and Antinociceptive in a Mouse Chronic Neuropathic Pain Model via Activation of Adenosine A Receptors.”. Neurosci Lett, vol. 854, Jan. 2025, p. 138205, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2025.138205.

Duron, David I, et al. “Inhibiting Spinal Cord-Specific Hsp90 Isoforms Reveals a Novel Strategy to Improve the Therapeutic Index of Opioid Treatment.”. Sci Rep, vol. 14, no. 1, Jan. 2024, p. 14715, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-65637-6.

Schwarz, Abigail M, et al. “Select Minor Cannabinoids from Are Cannabimimetic and Antinociceptive in a Mouse Model of Chronic Neuropathic Pain.”. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, vol. 391, no. 2, Jan. 2024, pp. 214-21, https://doi.org/10.1124/jpet.124.002212.

Varga, Balazs R, et al. “Strategies towards Safer Opioid Analgesics-A Review of Old and Upcoming Targets.”. Br J Pharmacol, vol. 180, no. 7, Apr. 2023, pp. 975-93, https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.15760.

Gabriel, Katherin A, and Streicher, John M. “HSP90 Inhibition in the Mouse Spinal Cord Enhances Opioid Signaling by Suppressing an AMPK-Mediated Negative Feedback Loop.”. Sci Signal, vol. 16, no. 780, Jan. 2023, p. eade2438, https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.ade2438.

Schwarz, Abigail M, et al. “Terpenes from Induce Antinociception in Mouse Chronic Neuropathic Pain via Activation of Spinal Cord Adenosine A Receptors.”. BioRxiv, Jan. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.03.28.534594.

Tanguturi, Parthasaradhireddy, and Streicher, John M. “The Role of Opioid Receptors in Modulating Alzheimer’s Disease.”. Front Pharmacol, vol. 14, Jan. 2023, p. 1056402, https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1056402.

Fullerton, Evan F, et al. “Age-Induced Changes in μ-Opioid Receptor Signaling in the Midbrain Periaqueductal Gray of Male and Female Rats.”. J Neurosci, vol. 42, no. 32, Jan. 2022, pp. 6232-42, https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0355-22.2022.

Keresztes, Attila, et al. “Antagonism of the Mu-Delta Opioid Receptor Heterodimer Enhances Opioid Antinociception by Activating Src and Calcium Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Signaling.”. Pain, vol. 163, no. 1, Jan. 2022, pp. 146-58, https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002320.

Stefanucci, Azzurra, et al. “Discovery of κ Opioid Receptor (KOR)-Selective D-Tetrapeptides With Improved Antinociceptive Effect After Peripheral Administration.”. ACS Med Chem Lett, vol. 13, no. 11, Jan. 2022, pp. 1707-14, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00237.

Wahl, Jared R, et al. “Extracellular Alterations in PH and K+ Modify the Murine Brain Endothelial Cell Total and Phospho-Proteome.”. Pharmaceutics, vol. 14, no. 7, Jan. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14071469.

Palomino, Seph M, et al. “Inhibition of HSP90 Preserves Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity After Cortical Spreading Depression.”. Pharmaceutics, vol. 14, no. 8, Jan. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14081665.

LaVigne, Justin E, et al. “Cannabis Sativa Terpenes Are Cannabimimetic and Selectively Enhance Cannabinoid Activity.”. Sci Rep, vol. 11, no. 1, Jan. 2021, p. 8232, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87740-8.

Tanguturi, Parthasaradhireddy, et al. “Discovery of Novel Delta Opioid Receptor (DOR) Inverse Agonist and Irreversible (Non-Competitive) Antagonists.”. Molecules, vol. 26, no. 21, Jan. 2021, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26216693.

Duron, David I, et al. “Daily Intermittent Fasting in Mice Enhances Morphine-Induced Antinociception While Mitigating Reward, Tolerance, and Constipation.”. Pain, vol. 161, no. 10, Oct. 2020, pp. 2353-6, https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001918.

Stine, Carrie, et al. “Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitors Block the Antinociceptive Effects of Opioids in Mouse Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy and Cancer Bone Pain Models.”. Pain, vol. 161, no. 8, Aug. 2020, pp. 1798-07, https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001886.

LaVigne, Justin, et al. “The Endomorphin-1 2 and Dynorphin-B Peptides Display Biased Agonism at the Mu Opioid Receptor.”. Pharmacol Rep, vol. 72, no. 2, Apr. 2020, pp. 465-71, https://doi.org/10.1007/s43440-020-00061-x.

Lei, Wei, et al. “A Novel Mu-Delta Opioid Agonist Demonstrates Enhanced Efficacy With Reduced Tolerance and Dependence in Mouse Neuropathic Pain Models.”. J Pain, vol. 21, no. 1-2, Jan. 2020, pp. 146-60, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2019.05.017.

Largent-Milnes, Tally M, et al. “Editorial: Novel Molecular Targets for the Treatment of Pain”. Front Mol Neurosci, vol. 13, Jan. 2020, p. 625714, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2020.625714.

Duron, David I, et al. “Inhibition of Hsp90 in the Spinal Cord Enhances the Antinociceptive Effects of Morphine by Activating an ERK-RSK Pathway.”. Sci Signal, vol. 13, no. 630, Jan. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.aaz1854.

Streicher, John M. “The Role of Heat Shock Proteins in Regulating Receptor Signal Transduction.”. Mol Pharmacol, vol. 95, no. 5, May 2019, pp. 468-74, https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.118.114652.

Olson, Keith M, et al. “Comprehensive Molecular Pharmacology Screening Reveals Potential New Receptor Interactions for Clinically Relevant Opioids.”. PLoS One, vol. 14, no. 6, Jan. 2019, p. e0217371, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217371.

Lei, Wei, et al. “The Alpha Isoform of Heat Shock Protein 90 and the Co-Chaperones P23 and Cdc37 Promote Opioid Anti-Nociception in the Brain.”. Front Mol Neurosci, vol. 12, Jan. 2019, p. 294, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2019.00294.

Streicher, John M, and Bilsky, Edward J. “Peripherally Acting μ-Opioid Receptor Antagonists for the Treatment of Opioid-Related Side Effects: Mechanism of Action and Clinical Implications.”. J Pharm Pract, vol. 31, no. 6, Dec. 2018, pp. 658-69, https://doi.org/10.1177/0897190017732263.