“The cannabinoid CB1 receptor is involved in complex physiological functions. The discovery of CB1 allosteric modulators generates new opportunities for drug discovery targeting the pharmacologically important CB1 receptor…”
“Cannabinoids have been attracting a great deal of interest as potential anticancer agents. Originally derived from the plant Cannabis sativa, there are now a number of endo-, phyto- and synthetic cannabinoids available. This review summarizes the key literature to date around the actions, antitumor activity, and mechanisms of action for this broad range of compounds…
Two therapeutic avenues exist for the development of cannabinoids as anticancer agents. As antiemetic and analgesic compounds, this class of compounds has been explored in terms of palliative care. More recently, cannabinoid agonists and antagonists have been screened for potential direct antitumorigenic properties.
… results suggest that overall the cannabinoids affect multiple cellular signaling pathways, which means they have the potential to decrease cancer development, growth, and metastasis.
Overall, the cannabinoids may show future promise in the treatment of cancer, but there are many significant hurdles to be overcome. There is much still to be learned about the action of the cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system.
It is a distinct possibility that the cannabinoids may have a place in the future treatment of cancer.”
Full Text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3770515/
“Spasticity is a common symptom among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of the combination of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) in clinical practice for the treatment of spasticity in MS…
Retrospective observational study with patients treated with inhaled THC/CBD…
THC/CBD was effective in 80% of patients…
THC/CBD appears to be a good alternative to standard treatment as it improves refractory spasticity in MS and has an acceptable toxicity profile.”
“The endocannabinoid system has recently emerged as a promising therapeutic target for MS. The protective mechanisms of cannabinoids are thought to be mediated by activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and 2 (CB2)…
activation of CB1 receptors contributes significantly to the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of cannabinoids on MS.”
“Spasticity remains a prevalent symptom in multiple sclerosis, with a significant associated disability and quality of life impairment… Cannabinoids provide a new way for therapy.
A delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol plus cannabidiol (1:1) association, administered through an oromucosal route, has been approved in several countries including Spain; it causes a specific effect on CB(1) and CB(2) receptors, with traditional psychotropic cannabis actions being minimized.
Randomized, placebo-controlled trials, as well as longer-term open-label extensions, have shown a clear-cut efficacy to reduce spasticity and their associated symptoms in those patients refractory to other therapies, with a good tolerability/safety profile.
No tolerance, abuse or addictive issues have been found…”
“Clinical reports indicate that cannabinoids may alleviate pain in different pain conditions, including multiple sclerosis related pain…
Randomised double blind placebo controlled crossover trial… To evaluate the effect of the oral synthetic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol dronabinol on central neuropathic pain in patients with multiple sclerosis…
Dronabinol has a modest but clinically relevant analgesic effect on central pain in patients with multiple sclerosis. Adverse events, including dizziness, were more frequent with dronabinol than with placebo during the first week of treatment.”
“Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most chronic and inflammatory disorder. Because of limited efficacy and adverse side effects, identifying novel therapeutic and protective agents is important. This study was aimed to assess the potential therapeutic effects of hemp seed and evening primrose oils as well as Hot-nature dietary intervention on RRMS patients…
The co-supplemented hemp seed and evening primrose oils with Hot-nature diet have beneficial effects in improving of clinical score in RRMS patients which were confirmed by immunological findings.”
“Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids exert pro-apoptotic actions in tumor cells via the CB2 cannabinoid receptor…
Here we used the human leukemia cell line Jurkat-that expresses CB2 as the unique CB receptor-to investigate…
In summary, results presented here show that CB2 receptor activation signals apoptosis via a ceramide-dependent stimulation of the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway.”
“Cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 are part the endocannabinoid system that plays an important role in the process of proliferation and apoptosis of different neoplastic cells. B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is one of the diseases in which these processes are altered… The aim of our study was the assessment of cannabinoid receptor expression on the B-lymphocytes in bone marrow trephine biopsy from leukaemic patients at diagnosis and after purine analogue treatment….
The study provides original evidence for the existence of cannabinoid receptors on B-lymphocytes in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients. The receptors are thought to be a new structure that can modify the course of the disease and may be considered as a new target in leukaemia treatment.”
“Cannabinoids, the biologically active constituents of marijuana (Cannabis sativa)…
Plant-derived cannabinoids, including Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), induce apoptosis in leukemic cells…
cannabinoids were shown to inhibit the proliferation of several human cancer cell lines, including leukemia…
Together, these data suggested that Raf-1/MEK/ERK/RSK-mediated Bad translocation played a critical role in THC-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells…
THC and other cannabinoids can induce apoptosis in a variety of tumor cell lines, thereby raising the possibility of the use of cannabinoids as novel anticancer agents…”