Publications

Midbrain endocannabinoids actuate dopamine-based action selection

Luján MÁ, Young-Morrison R, Kashtelyan V, Loewinger G, Klingenberg TD, Hoffman AF, Gildish I, Covey DP, McDonnell EE, Morgado F, Peters K, Kim AY, Pereira F, Lupica CR, Cheer JF

Cell Reports 45(5): 117298. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117298

Endocannabinoid metabolism at VTA GABAergic neurons gates motivation for social, but not food, reward

Medina-Saldivar C, Cardozo CF, Gildish I, Baidoo N, Chandra R, Luján MÁ, Lobo MK, Venniro M, Cheer JF

Neuropsychopharmacology. doi:10.1038/s41386-026-02561-5

Concurrent maternal stress and THC exposure alters maternal regulation and downstream adolescent corticolimbic programs

Olusakin J, Dewan M, Kashyap A, Franco D, Kumar G, Luján MÁ, Mark KS, Cheer JF, Lobo MK

Translational Psychiatry. doi:10.1038/s41398-026-04049-8

Cannabinoid-based Pharmacology for the Management of Substance Use DisordersBook chapter

Luján MÁ, Kim Y, Zhang LY, Cheer JF

Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences. doi:10.1007/7854_2024_551

In: Patel S, Cooper Z (eds.), Behavioral Neurobiology of the Endocannabinoid System, 2nd ed. Springer Nature.

Dynamic overrepresentation of accumbal cues in food- and opioid-seeking rats after prenatal THC exposure

Luján MÁ*†, Young-Morrison R*, Aroni S, Katona I, Melis M, Cheer JF†

Science Advances 10(45): eadq5652. doi:10.1126/sciadv.adq5652

* Equal contribution. † Corresponding authors.

Mobilization of endocannabinoids by midbrain dopamine neurons is required for the encoding of reward prediction

Luján MÁ*, Covey DP*, Young-Morrison R, Zhang LY, Kim A, Morgado F, Patel S, Bass CE, Paladini C, Cheer JF

Nature Communications 14: 7545. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43131-3

* Equal contribution.

Listening to the Data: Computational Approaches to Addiction and LearningReview

Wilkinson CS, Luján MÁ, Hales C, Costa KM, Fiore VG, Knackstedt LA, Kober H

Journal of Neuroscience 43(45): 7547–7553. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1415-23.2023

A multivariate regressor of patterned dopamine release predicts relapse to cocaine

Luján MÁ, Oliver BL, Young-Morrison R, Engi SA, Zhang LY, Wenzel JM, Li Y, Zlebnik NE, Cheer JF

Cell Reports 42(6): 112553. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112553

Cannabidiol decreases motivation for cocaine in a behavioral economics paradigm but does not prevent incubation of craving in mice

Alegre-Zurano L, Berbegal-Sáez P, Luján MÁ, Cantacorps L, Martín-Sánchez A, García-Baos A, Valverde O

Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 148: 112708. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112708

CB1 receptor antagonist AM4113 reverts the effects of cannabidiol on cue and stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour in mice

Luján MÁ, Alegre-Zurano L, Martín-Sánchez A, Cantacorps L, Valverde O

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 113: 110462. doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110462

Cannabidiol Modulates the Motivational and Anxiety-Like Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) in Mice

Alegre-Zurano L, López-Arnau R, Luján MÁ, Camarasa J, Valverde O

International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22(15): 8304. doi:10.3390/ijms22158304

Chronic Augmentation of Endocannabinoid Levels Persistently Increases Dopaminergic Encoding of Reward Cost and Motivation

Covey DP, Hernandez E, Luján MÁ, Cheer JF

Journal of Neuroscience. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0285-21.2021

Choosing the right drug: status and future of endocannabinoid research for the prevention of drug-seeking reinstatementReview

Luján MÁ, Cheer JF, Melis M

Current Opinion in Pharmacology 56: 29–38. doi:10.1016/j.coph.2020.08.014

Maternal separation increases cocaine intake through a mechanism involving plasticity in glutamate signalling

Castro-Zavala A, Martín-Sánchez A, Luján MÁ, Valverde O

Addiction Biology 26(2): e12911. doi:10.1111/adb.12911

The Pro-neurogenic Effects of Cannabidiol and Its Potential Therapeutic Implications in Psychiatric DisordersReview

Luján MÁ*, Valverde O*

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 14: 109. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00109

* Corresponding authors.

Prenatal and postnatal alcohol exposure increases vulnerability to cocaine addiction in adult mice

Cantacorps L, Montagud-Romero S, Luján MÁ, Valverde O

British Journal of Pharmacology 177: 1090–1105. doi:10.1111/bph.14901

The pharmacological reduction of hippocampal neurogenesis attenuates the protective effects of cannabidiol on cocaine voluntary intake

Luján MÁ, Cantacorps L, Valverde O

Addiction Biology 25: e12778. doi:10.1111/adb.12778

Drug-free and context-dependent locomotor hyperactivity in DBA/2 J mice previously treated with repeated cocaine: Relationship with behavioral sensitization and role of noradrenergic receptors

Luján MÁ, Colomar L, Tarragón E, López-Cruz L, Pastor R, Font L

Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 176: 101–110. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2018.12.004

Oxytocin prevents the increase of cocaine-related responses produced by social defeat

Ferrer-Pérez C, Castro-Zavala A, Luján MÁ, Filarowska J, Ballestín R, Miñarro J, Valverde O, Rodríguez-Arias M

Neuropharmacology 146: 50–64. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.11.011

Repeated Cannabidiol treatment reduces cocaine intake and modulates neural proliferation and CB1R expression in the mouse hippocampus

Luján MÁ, Castro-Zavala A, Alegre-Zurano L, Valverde O

Neuropharmacology 143: 163–175. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.09.043

Exposure of adolescent mice to 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone increases the psychostimulant, rewarding and reinforcing effects of cocaine in adulthood

López-Arnau R*, Luján MÁ*, Duart-Castells L, Pubil D, Camarasa J, Valverde O, Escubedo E

British Journal of Pharmacology 174: 1161–1173. doi:10.1111/bph.13771

* Equal contribution.

Involvement of the endogenous opioid system in the psychopharmacological actions of ethanol: the role of acetaldehydeReview

Font L, Luján MÁ, Pastor R

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 7: 93. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00093