Rae R. Matsumoto, Ph.D. Professor Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Program Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences West Virginia University P.O. Box 9500 Morgantown, WV 26506-9500 Phone: (304) 293-1450 Fax: (304) 293-5483 E-Mail: rmatsumoto@hsc.wvu.edu

BIOSKETCH

Education:

Post-doctoral Training

• Northwestern University, Department of Physiology, Chicago, IL
• Brown University, Department of Psychology and Section of Biochemistry, Providence RI
  

Graduate Training

• Brown University, Department of Psychology, Providence, RI

Undergraduate Training

• Creighton University, Omaha, NE (majors: biology and psychology, minor: chemistry)

Research Interests:
Dr. Matsumoto’s laboratory uses a multidisciplinary approach to evaluate the effects of drugs on the brain.  Much of her current research focuses on the development of new drugs for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Drug abuse
Currently, there are no effective treatments for cocaine overdose and addiction, which exacerbates a major health and societal problem.  Recently, Dr. Matsumoto’s research team developed new classes of drugs with powerful anti-cocaine actions in animals.  Further testing has revealed that these drugs also combat other psychostimulants such as methamphetamine and MDMA (Ecstasy).  Much of the current research in her laboratory is now focused on optimizing these compounds, and identifying the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which they exert their beneficial actions. 

Depression
Depression affects about 20% of Americans.  It is the leading cause of disability and costs the U.S. approximately $44 billion in loss of productivity each year.  Despite recent advances in antidepressant therapy, it takes several weeks before existing medications are effective and about 30% of patients still do not respond.  Dr. Matsumoto’s research group has recently developed and characterized a new class of compounds that changes animal behavior and neuronal structure and function in ways that predict favorable antidepressant potential.  By targeting new mechanisms of action, these compounds are expected to help individuals who do not respond to existing medications, and to produce their therapeutic effects sooner. 

Grants

The primary source of funding in Dr. Matsumoto’s laboratory is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Since 1994, Dr. Matsumoto has received continuous research support through the following NIH institutes: National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH).

Current

• Synthesis and evaluation of sigma-active cocaine antagonists, R01, principal investigator (NIDA/NIH)
• Sigma ligands for the treatment of cocaine overdose, R01, principal investigator (NIDA/NIH)
• Cocaine, sigma receptors and fra-2, R21, principal investigator (NIDA/NIH)
• Novel pharmacologic interventions for drugs of abuse, R01 subcontract, principal investigator (NIDA/NIH)
• Opioids with delta antagonist and mu agonist activity, R01 subcontract, principal investigator (NIDA/NIH)
• Antidepressants and sigma receptors, principal investigator (WVU Research Development Grant)

Recent (last five years, not listed above)

• Center for Research Excellence in Natural Products Neuroscience, P20, principal investigator (NCRR/NIH)
• NIDA Summer Fellows Program, R01 supplement, principal investigator (NIDA/NIH)
• Establishment of real time PCR core, equipment grant, principal investigator (Presbyterian Hlth Fdn)
• Grant writing: data analysis and proposal preparation suite, principal investigator (Associates Program)
• Post-bacc research for underrepresented minorities, R01 supplement, principal investigator (NIDA/NIH)
• Drug development for methamphetamine, principal investigator (OCAST)

Research Techniques

• Radioligand binding and functional assays
• Rodent behavioral measurements (eg. locomotor activity, CPP, FST, open field, video tracking)
• Molecular biology (eg. Western blots, real time PCR, microarray, ELISA)
• Cell culture

Recent Publications
[2008]

• Ahmed SA, Ross SA, Salde D, Radwan MM, Zulfiqar F, Matsumoto RR, Xu YT, Viard E, Speth RC, Karamyan VT, ElSohly MA. Cannabinoid ester constituents from high potency Cannabis sativa. Journal of Natural Products (2008), 71:1119 (JNP 71:536-542).
• Diers JA, Ivey KD, El-Alfy A, Shaikh J, Wang J, Kochanowska AJ, Stoker JF, Hamann MT, Matsumoto RR. Identification of antidepressant drug leads through the evaluation of marine natural products with neuropsychiatric pharmacophores. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior (2008), 89:46-53.
• Kochanowska AJ, Rao KV, Childress S, El-Alfy A, Matsumoto RR, Kelly M, Stewart GS, Sufka K, Hamann MT. Secondary metabolites from three Florida sponges with antidepressant activity. Journal of Natural Products (2008), 71:186-189.
• Liu Y, Brown S, Shaikh J, Fishback JA, Matsumoto RR. Relationship between methamphetamine exposure and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 expression. NeuroReport (2008), 19:1407-1409.
• Liu Y, Matsumoto RR. Alterations in fra-2 and s1 receptor gene and protein expression are associated with the development of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization: time course and regional distribution studies. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (2008), 327:187-195.
• Matsumoto RR, Shaikh J, Wilson LL, Vedam S, Coop A. Attenuation of methamphetamine-induced effects through antagonism of sigma receptors: evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies. European Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2008), 18:871-881.
• Mercer SL, Shaikh J, Matsumoto RR, Coop. Nitrile analogs of meperidine as high affinity and selective sigma-1 receptor ligands. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2008), 43:1304-1308.
• Mesangeau C, Narayanan S, Green AM, Shaikh J, Kaushal N, Viard E, Xu YT, Fishback JA, Poupaert JH, Matsumoto RR, McCurdy CR. Conversion of a highly selective sigma-1 receptor ligand to sigma-2 receptor preferring ligands with anticocaine activity. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2008), 51:1482-1486.
• Rao KV, Na MK, Cook JC, Peng J, Matsumoto R, Hamann MT. Kahalalides V-Y isolated from a Hawaiian collection of the sacoglossan mollusk. Journal of Natural Products (2008), 71:772-778.
• Smith TA, Yang X, Wu H, Pouw B, Matsumoto RR, Coop A. Trifluoromethoxyl substituted phenylethylene diamines as high affinity sigma receptor ligands with potent anti-cocaine actions. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2008), 51:3322-3325.

[2007]

• Matsumoto RR, Bowen WD, Su TP. Sigma Receptors: Chemistry, Cell Biology and Clinical Implications. Springer, New York, 2007.
• Matsumoto RR, Pouw B, Mack AL, Daniels A, Coop A. Effects of UMB24 and (+)-SM 21, putative s2 preferring antagonists, on behavioral toxic and stimulant effects of cocaine in mice. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior (2007), 86:86-91.
• Wang J, Mack AL, Coop A, Matsumoto RR. Novel sigma receptor agonists produce antidepressant-like effects in mice. European Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2007), 17:708-716.

Link to CV - PDF