Publications

Explore my publications, research contributions, and scientific work connecting biological mechanisms to translational impact.

Featured Articles

Δ9 Tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabis extracts differentially improve adipoinsular dysfunction in diet-induced obesity

Published: 2026

Summary:

Chronic exposure to THC and whole cannabis extracts reduced fat mass in obese mice and corrected the abnormal adiposity and adipokine signaling that drives metabolic dysfunction as seen in obesity.
Only the extracts, not THC by itself, were able to fully restore healthy glucose clearance in obese mice, pointing to non-THC cannabis compounds as key drivers of the metabolic benefit.
The findings offer a mechanistic explanation for the long-standing epidemiological paradox that chronic cannabis users tend to have lower rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes despite cannabis's appetite-stimulating effects.

Journal

Journal of Physiology

Authors

Bryant Avalos, Martin Olmos, Courtney P Wood, Camila Alvarez, Haley M Read, Parima Udompholkul, Theodore Garland Jr, Nicholas V DiPatrizio

Cannabis Use and Cannabidiol Modulate HIV-Induced Alterations in TREM2 Expression: Implications for Age-Related Neuropathogenesis

Published: 2024

Summary:

Using a novel combination of HIV-infected mice and an Alzheimer's-risk TREM2 mutant model, the study showed HIV disrupts normal TREM2 processing in the brain, an effect tied to worse memory performance in the mutant mice.
In macrophages from people with HIV, cannabis use was associated with a gene expression signature favoring healthier TREM2-related immune signaling compared to non-users.
CBD treatment directly boosted protective TREM2 expression and partially reversed the harmful effects of inflammatory signaling, suggesting a therapeutic angle for addressing HIV-associated cognitive decline as patients age.

Journal

Viruses

Authors

Bryant Avalos, Jacqueline R Kulbe, Mary K Ford, Anna Elizabeth Laird, Kyle Walter, Michael Mante, Jazmin B Florio, Ali Boustani, Antoine Chaillon, Johannes CM Schlachetzki, Erin E Sundermann, David J Volsky, Robert A Rissman, Ronald J Ellis, Scott L Letendre, Jennifer Iudicello, Jerel Adam Fields

Cannabinoid CB1 Receptors in the Intestinal Epithelium Are Required for Acute Western-Diet Preferences in Mice

Published: 2020

Summary:

Blocking cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptors, either with an antagonist or by genetic deletion specifically from the gut lining, largely eliminated mice's strong preference for a high-fat and high-sugar "Western" diet over standard rodent chow.
This demonstrated for the first time that CB1 receptors located in the intestinal epithelium itself, not just in the brain, actively drive the choice to eat unhealthy, palatable food, especially during obesity.
The results establish the gut (specfically the proximal jejunum) as a therapeutic target for endocannabinoid-based strategies aimed at curbing overeating and diet-driven obesity.

Journal

Nutrients

Authors

Bryant Avalos, Donovan A Argueta, Pedro A Perez, Mark Wiley, Courtney Wood, Nicholas V DiPatrizio

Full Publication List

2020

Avalos, B., Argueta, D. A., Perez, P. A., Wiley, M., Wood, C., & DiPatrizio, N. V. (2020). Cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the intestinal epithelium are required for acute Western-diet preferences in mice. Nutrients, 12(9), Article 2874. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092874
Argueta, D. A., Chweih, H., Avalos, B., Tran, H., Nguyen, A., Aich, A., DiPatrizio, N. V., & Gupta, K. (2020). Palmitoylethanolamide-mediated inhibition of Nogo-A signaling attenuates pain in sickle mice. Blood, 136(Suppl. 1), 15–16. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2020-138617

2021

Wiley, M. B., Perez, P. A., Argueta, D. A., Avalos, B., Wood, C. P., & DiPatrizio, N. V. (2021). UPLC-MS/MS method for analysis of endocannabinoid and related lipid metabolism in mouse mucosal tissue. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, Article 699712. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.699712
Argueta, D. A., Avalos, B., Kiven, S. B., Aguirre, F., Lomeli, R., Fotio, Y., Piomelli, D., DiPatrizio, N. V., & Gupta, K. (2021). Nogo-A pathway contributes to neural injury and pain in sickle cell disease. Blood, 138(Suppl. 1), 191.

2023

Cherukury, H. M., Argueta, D. A., Garcia, N., Fouda, R., Kiven, S., Lei, J., Sagi, V., Velasco, G. J., Avalos, B., DiPatrizio, N. V., & Gupta, K. (2023). Cannabidiol attenuates hyperalgesia in a mouse model of sickle cell disease. Blood, 141(2), 203–208. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2022016382
Ruggiero-Ruff, R. E., Villa, P. A., Abu Hijleh, S., Avalos, B., DiPatrizio, N. V., & Coss, D. (2023). Altered pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neuron function characterizes energy expenditure dysfunction and increased body weight linked to fragile X gene mutation. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 7(Suppl. 1), bvad114.1203.
Ruggiero-Ruff, R. E., Villa, P. A., Abu Hijleh, S., Avalos, B., DiPatrizio, N. V., Haga-Yamanaka, S., & Coss, D. (2023). Increased body weight in mice with fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (Fmr1) gene mutation is associated with hypothalamic dysfunction. Scientific Reports, 13(1), Article 12666. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-39643-z
Wood, C. P., Avalos, B., Alvarez, C., & DiPatrizio, N. V. (2023). A sexually dimorphic role for intestinal cannabinoid receptor subtype-1 in the behavioral expression of anxiety. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 8(6), 1045–1059. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2023.0150

2024

Avalos, B., Kulbe, J. R., Ford, M. K., Laird, A. E., Walter, K., Mante, M., Florio, J. B., Boustani, A., Chaillon, A., Schlachetzki, J. C. M., Sundermann, E. E., Volsky, D. J., Rissman, R. A., Ellis, R. J., Letendre, S. L., Iudicello, J., & Fields, J. A. (2024). Cannabis use and cannabidiol modulate HIV-induced alterations in TREM2 expression: Implications for age-related neuropathogenesis. Viruses, 16(10), Article 1509. https://doi.org/10.3390/v16101509

2025

Boustani, A., Ford, M. K., Kulbe, J. R., Laird, A. E., Shu, L., Spencer, M., Avalos, B., Walter, K. C., Ellis, R. J., & Fields, J. A. (2025). Increased growth differentiation factor 15 levels are associated with HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment: A pilot study. Brain Sciences, 15(1), Article 49. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15010049
Argueta, D. A., Avalos, B., Goel, Y., Tran, H., Fotio, Y., Piomelli, D., DiPatrizio, N. V., & Gupta, K. (2025). Neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activity of palmitoylethanolamide in sickle cell mice. Blood Advances, 9(12), 3056–3068. https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2024015439
Walter, K. C., Avalos, B., Ford, M. K., Laird, A. E., Boustani, A., Spencer, M., Shu, L., Chaillon, A., Crescini, M., Cookson, D., Ellis, R. J., Letendre, S. L., Iudicello, J., & Fields, J. A. (2025). Cannabis use is associated with alterations in NLRP3 inflammasome related gene expression in monocyte-derived macrophages from people living with HIV. Frontiers in Immunology, 16, Article 1634203. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1634203

2026

Ford, M. K., Halcrow, P. W., Laird, A. E., Avalos, B. L., Boustani, A., Spencer, M., Melcher, J. I., Walter, K. C., Hong, D. D., Funk, G., Searson, E. G., Le, A. A., Ellis, R. J., Letendre, S., Marcondes, M. C. G., Schlachetzki, J. C. M., Iudicello, J., & Fields, J. A. (2026). Cannabis use by people with HIV is associated with an anti-inflammatory immunometabolic phenotype in monocyte-derived macrophages. Journal of Neuroinflammation, 23, Article 173. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-026-03779-2
Avalos, B., Olmos, M., Wood, C. P., Alvarez, C., Read, H. M., Udompholkul, P., Garland, T., Jr., & DiPatrizio, N. V. (2026). Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabis extracts differentially improve adipoinsular dysfunction in diet-induced obesity. The Journal of Physiology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP290431

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Bryant Avalos, Ph.D.

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