Participants reported that marijuana was effective in helping them to manage symptoms of MS.”
“Cannabinoids are a group of terpenophenolic compounds structurally similar to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from the plant Cannabis sativa.
Cannabinoids have emerged as powerful drug candidates for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases due to their immunosuppressive properties.
Significant clinical and experimental data on the use of cannabinoids as anti-inflammatory agents exist in many autoimmune disease settings, but virtually no studies have been undertaken on their potential role in transplant rejection. Here we suggest a theoretical role for the use of cannabinoids in preventing allograft rejection.
…manipulation of endocannabinoids in vivo by activating their biosynthesis and inhibiting cellular uptake and metabolism may offer another pathway to regulate immune response during allograft rejection.
…cannabinoids have emerged as novel anti-inflammatory agents because of their efficacy in the treatment of many immune-mediated disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune hepatitis.
Transplantation is one critical area of medicine that requires the use of immunosuppressants.
Inasmuch as, immune cells constitute an important resource of endocannabinoids, it may be easier to manipulate their levels during an immune response, which could have a direct and immediate impact on such cells that determine the fate of the allograft.
In summary, targeting cannabinoid receptors and understanding the role and use of exo-and endocannabinoids in experimental allograft rejection models may provide an exciting new beginning with significant translational impact.”
“The cannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid receptors and their ligands, including endocannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists, and phytocannabinoids.
Administration of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) agonists in inflammatory and autoimmune disease and CNS injury models results in significant attenuation of clinical disease, and reduction of inflammatory mediators.
…cannabinoids contribute to resolve acute inflammation and to reestablish homeostasis.
Selective CB2R agonists might be valuable future therapeutic agents for the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions by targeting activated immune cells, including DCs.
Because of their anti-inflammatory functions targeting various immune cells, CB2R agonists could represent valuable therapeutic agents for the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions.”
“The cannabinoids are a group of terpenophenolic compounds present in the marijuana plant, Cannabis sativa. At present, three general types of cannabinoids have been identified: phytocannabinoids present uniquely in the cannabis plant, endogenous cannabinoids produced in humans and animals, and synthetic cannabinoids generated in a laboratory. It is worth noting that Cannabis sativa produces over 80 cannabinoids…
An accumulating body of evidence suggests that endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors type 1 and 2 (CB(1), CB(2)) play a significant role in physiologic and pathologic processes, including cognitive and immune functions.
…there is growing appreciation of the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in multiple pathologic conditions involving chronic inflammation (inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, multiple sclerosis, HIV-1 infection, stroke, Alzheimer’sdisease to name a few), mainly mediated by CB(2) activation.
This review attempts to summarize recent advances in studies of CB(2) activation in the setting of neuroinflammation, immunomodulation and HIV-1 infection.
The full potential of CB2 agonists as therapeutic agents remains to be realized.
Despite some inadequacies of preclinical models to predict clinical efficacy in humans and differences between the signaling of human and rodent CB2 receptors, the development of selective CB2 agonists may open new avenues in therapeutic intervention.
Such interventions would aim at reducing the release of pro-inflammatory mediators particularly in chronic neuropathologic conditions such as HAND or MS.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3663904/
“The early proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is released in significant quantities by the activated immune system in response to infection, leukemia, autoimmune disorders, and radiation sickness. Nausea, emesis, and anorexia are common features of these disorders. TNF action on vagal afferent terminals in the brainstem is a likely cause of the malaise associated with these disorders.
For millennia, cannabinoids(CB) have been used to combat the visceral malaise associated with chronic disease…
These results help to explain the effectiveness of cannabinoids in blocking the malaise generated by TNF-releasing disease processes by opposing effects on ryanodine channels.
We believe that this is the first demonstration of the likely intracellular mechanism used by CB1 analogs to block the effects of TNF on neurotransmitter mechanisms that cause pain and visceral malaise.
These results may explain how cannabinoids can be effective in the treatment of the allodynia and visceral malaise of chronic disease.”
“Immune-mediated liver diseases including autoimmune and viral hepatitis are a major health problem worldwide. Natural cannabinoids such as Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) effectively modulate immune cell function, and they have shown therapeutic potential in treating inflammatory diseases.
We investigated the effects of THC in a murine model of concanavalin A (ConA)-induced hepatitis…
Our data demonstrate that targeting cannabinoid receptors using exogenous or endogenous cannabinoids and use of FAAH inhibitors may constitute novel therapeutic modalities to treat immune-mediated liver inflammation.
δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive component of marijuana (Cannabis sativa), has wide-ranging pharmacological properties. The cannabinoid compounds possess significant immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. THC and cannabinoid receptor agonists have shown promise in several models of inflammation.”
“Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are getting increased attention as one of the main regulatory cells of the immune system. They are induced at sites of inflammation and can potently suppress T cell functions. In the current study, we demonstrate how activation of TRPV1 vanilloid receptors can trigger MDSCs, which in turn, can inhibit inflammation and hepatitis…
This study demonstrates for the first time that MDSCs play a critical role in attenuating acute inflammation in the liver, and that agents such as CBD, which trigger MDSCs through activation of TRPV1 vanilloid receptors may constitute a novel therapeutic modality to treat inflammatory diseases.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major non-psychoactive cannabinoid component of marijuana.
Together, these studies not only demonstrate that CBD can protect the host from acute liver injury but also provide evidence for the first time that MDSCs may play a critical role in protecting the liver from acute inflammation.
Non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as CBD possess great therapeutic potential in treating various inflammatory liver diseases, including autoimmune hepatitis.”
“Our aim was to evaluate the roles of the cannabinoid pathway in the induction and propagation of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in a mouse model…
Experiments performed in CB2-deficient mice confirmed the influence of CB2 in the development of systemic fibrosis and autoimmunity. Therefore, we demonstrate that the CB2 receptor is a potential target for the treatment of SSc because it controls both skin fibroblast proliferation and the autoimmune reaction.
In this report, we demonstrate for the first time the highly protective role of cannabinoid agonists in SSc. Because these agonists are available and well-tolerated under clinical conditions, our data offer a new therapeutic opportunity in this life-threatening disease.
In conclusion, modulation of the endocannabinoid system is a novel approach for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases.”
“The active constituents of Cannabis sativa have been used for centuries as recreational drugs and medicinal agents. Today, marijuana is the most prevalent drug of abuse in the United States and, conversely, therapeutic use of marijuana constituents are gaining mainstream clinical and political acceptance.
Given the documented contributions of endocannabinoid signaling to a range of physiological systems, including cognitive function, and the control of eating behaviors, it is unsurprising that cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists are showing significant clinical potential.
In addition to the neuroactive effects of cannabinoids, an emerging body of data suggests that both endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids are potently immunoactive.
The central premise of this review article is that the immunological effects of cannabinoids should be considered in the context of each prescribing decision.
We present evidence that the immunological effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists are highly relevant to the spectrum of disorders for which cannabinoid therapeutics are currently offered.
Therapeutically relevant cannabinoid receptor ligands include tetra-hydrocannabinol itself, its synthetic forms, and its closely related compounds.
As a final point, the application of CB1 antagonists may be immunostimulative…”
“The aim of this study was to characterize inhibitory mechanisms on T cell receptor signaling mediated by the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Both receptors are coupled to G(i/o) proteins, which are associated with inhibition of cyclic AMP formation…
These findings help to better understand the immunosuppressive effects of cannabinoids and explain the beneficial effects of these drugs in the treatment of T cell-mediated autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis.
To sum up, our results help to explain immunosuppressive effect of cannabinoid drugs, which may be important for the pharmacological evaluation of these drugs, e.g. with respect to their use in neuroinflammatory diseases and T cell-mediated autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2790974/#!po=45.6522