Category Archives: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

Long-Term Cannabidiol Treatment Prevents the Development of Social Recognition Memory Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease Transgenic Mice.

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“Impairments in cognitive ability and widespread pathophysiological changes caused by neurotoxicity, neuroinflammation, oxidative damage, and altered cholesterol homeostasis are associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to reverse cognitive deficits of AD transgenic mice and to exert neuroprotective, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and in vivo…

This study is the first to demonstrate CBD’s ability to prevent the development of a social recognition deficit in AD transgenic mice.

Our findings provide the first evidence that CBD may have potential as a preventative treatment for AD with a particular relevance for symptoms of social withdrawal and facial recognition.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25024347

The Potential Therapeutic Effects of THC on Alzheimer’s Disease.

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“The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential therapeutic qualities of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with respect to slowing or halting the hallmark characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease…

These sets of data strongly suggest that THC could be a potential therapeutic treatment option for Alzheimer’s disease through multiple functions and pathways.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25024327

The endocannabinoid system: a putative role in neurodegenerative diseases.

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“Scientific evidence shows that an hypofunction or a dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system may be responsible for some of the symptoms of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

The aim of this review is to highlight the role of endocannabinoid system in neurodegenerative diseases

Scientific evidence shows that cannabis can provide symptomatic relief in several neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These findings imply that a hypofunction or a dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system may be responsible for some of the symptoms of these diseases. Moreover, given the abundance of CB1 receptors in areas associated with movement and executive thought, researchers’ interest has often focused on endocannabinoid levels in patients with motor degenerative disorders.

CONCLUSIONS:

The important role played by endocannabinoid system promises interesting developments, in particular to evaluate the effectiveness of new drugs in both psychiatry and neurology.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4070159/

Medical Marijuana Helps Cure Chronic Disease

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Medical Marijuana Helps Cure Chronic Disease

“The medicinal power of Marijuana is well documented throughtout history

Back in 2700 BC, According to Chinese lore, the Emperor Shen Nung, considered the Father of Chinese medicine, in 2700 BC ,discovered the healing properties of Marijuana as well as Ginseng and Ephedra.

Throughout recorded history, the use of Medical Marijuana  has been linked to the ancient Egyptians, Persians, Greek civilizations, George Washington, Queen Victoria and even mainstream medicine by the 1840s.

From the 1850s to Y 1942, Marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia, an official public standards-setting authority for all prescription and over-the counter medicines, as a treatment for tetanus, cholera, rabies, dysentery, alcoholism, opiate addiction, convulsive disorders, insanity, excessive menstrual bleeding and many other health problems. My father was a Dental doctor and had a license to dispense the drug, pharmacies carried it back then.

During that same time frame prohibition gained popularity, that along with a growing “faith” in federal government.

By Y 1937, the United States passed its 1st federal law against Marijuana despite objections by the American Medical Association (AMA).

In fact, Dr. William C. Woodward, testifying on behalf of the AMA, told the US Congress:

“The American Medical Association knows of no evidence that Marijuana is a dangerous drug.”

He warned that a prohibition “loses sight of the fact that future investigation may show that there are substantial medical uses for Cannabis.”

Today, we see a growing trend of acceptance of Marijuana for its medicinal purposes.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, reversed his Y 2009 opinion against Marijuana when he said, “We have been terribly and systematically misled for nearly 70 yrs in the United States, and I apologize for my own role in that.”

Now people including lawmakers are seeing the legalization of Marijuana in states like Colorado and Washington for “recreational” purposes. Most Americans are in favor of Medical Marijuana,  and the legalization of this drug.

The Big Q: why does the federal government want to ban its usage?

The Big A: it is all about control and money, and there is a major market for it, plus it poses a major threat to the pharmaceutical industry.

Below are just a few of the many health benefits associated with Medical Marijuana:

1. It can stop HIV from spreading throughout the body.
2. It slows the progression of Alzheimer’s.
3. It slows the spread of cancer cells.
4. It is an active pain reliever.
5. It can prevent or help with opiate addiction.
6. It combats depression, anxiety and ADHD.
7. It can treat epilepsy and Tourette’s.
8. It can help with other neurological damage, such as concussions and strokes.
9. It can prevent blindness from glaucoma.
10. Its connected to lower insulin levels in diabetics.

Contrary to popular notions, many patients  experience health benefits from Medical Marijuana without “getting stoned.””

http://www.livetradingnews.com/medical-marijuana-helps-cure-chronic-disease-55569.htm#.U6VjgZRX-uY

Cannabinoid receptor 2: potential role in immunomodulation and neuroinflammation.

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Figure 2

“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/

 

Prevention of Alzheimer’s Could Hinge on Marijuana Science

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Alzheimers Disease includes reduced brain activity and function (red areas above), the result of years of accumulated damage. Molecules in pot seem to prevent this damage.

“The British Journal of Pharmacologyhas published a paper that concludes that the ingredients in marijuana likely work to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and age-related dementia.

Smoking, vaping, or eating the pot molecules THC and CBD directly effects nerve cell function, resulting in reduced chronic brain inflammation, reduced oxidative stress, and reduced cellular dysfunction — all the while promoting stability of the human body’s internal environment (homeostasis) and healthy brain cells (neurotrophic support)…

Pot likely prevents Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases at the individual cell level. Molecules in pot like THC and CBD (called cannabinoids) plug into a primal, chemical signaling system in cells called “the endocannabinoid system.” Cannabinoids dampen inflammation, protect cells from oxidative damage, and promote cell health on a number of levels, the paper shows.

Manipulating the endocannabinoid system will likely be a key to preventing or curing a bunch of neurodegenerative disorders, the paper concludes.”

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/LegalizationNation/archives/2014/05/13/prevention-of-alzheimers-could-hinge-on-marijuana-science

“Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology by Cannabinoids: Neuroprotection Mediated by Blockade of Microglial Activation”  http://www.jneurosci.org/content/25/8/1904.long

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/alzheimers-disease-ad/

The influence of cannabinoids on generic traits of neurodegeneration

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“In an increasingly ageing population, the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease are rising. While the aetiologies of these disorders are different, a number of common mechanisms that underlie their neurodegenerative components have been elucidated; namely neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced trophic support. Current therapies focus on treatment of the symptoms and attempt to delay the progression of these diseases but there is currently no cure.

Modulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system is emerging as a potentially viable option in the treatment of neurodegeneration. Endocannabinoid signalling has been found to be altered in many neurodegenerative disorders. To this end, pharmacological manipulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system, as well as application of phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids have been investigated. Signalling from the CB1 and CB2 receptors are known to be involved in the regulation of Ca2+ homeostasis, mitochondrial function, trophic support and inflammatory status, respectively, while other receptors gated by cannabinoids such as PPARγ, are gaining interest in their anti-inflammatory properties.

Through multiple lines of evidence, this evolutionarily conserved neurosignalling system has shown neuroprotective capabilities and is therefore a potential target for neurodegenerative disorders. This review details the mechanisms of neurodegeneration and highlights the beneficial effects of cannabinoid treatment.”

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.12492/full

Endocannabinoid signaling in Alzheimer’s disease: current knowledge and future directions.

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“The importance of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the modulation functions of the central nervous system has been extensively investigated during the last few years. In particular, accumulated evidence has implicated ECS in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), that is a progressive, degenerative, and irreversible disorder characterized by the accumulation in the brain of beta-amyloid fragments forming insoluble plaques, and of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NTFs) associated with synaptic and neuronal loss. In all the processes involved in the formation of both plaques and NFTs, the key-role played by the ECS has been documented. Here, we review current knowledge and future directions of ECS modulation both in animal models of AD and in human tissues, underlying the role of endocannabinoid signaling in the development of AD hallmarks. Overall, the available data suggest that next generation therapeutics might target distinct ECS elements, for instance CB2 receptor or fatty acid amide hydrolase, as a promising approach to halt or at least to slow down disease progression.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24813316

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/alzheimers-disease-ad/

Memory Loss From Marijuana Blocked By Ibuprofen; Drug Duo May Halt Alzheimer’s Progression

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marijuanachart

“Marijuana’s primary side-effect as a medicine — memory loss — may soon become all but forgotten.

In a stunningly simple turn, investigators found that a simple over-the-counter painkiller, such as ibuprofen, blocks memory loss from the drug’s active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The drug combination may also prevent neurological damage from Alzheimer’s Disease, opening possibilities too for the treatment of a variety of other diseases and conditions.

Nearly five millennia into the history of medical marijuana, investigators from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center say they’ve found a way to strip marijuana’s most deleterious side effect. The discovery may prompt U.S. regulators to soon approve marijuana-based treatments for ailments beyond nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients.”

http://www.medicaldaily.com/memory-loss-marijuana-blocked-ibuprofen-drug-duo-may-halt-alzheimers-progression-263443

Role of the cannabinoid system in the transit of beta-amyloid across the blood-brain barrier.

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“Emerging evidence suggests beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition in the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain is the result of impaired clearance, due in part to diminished Aβ transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Recently, modulation of the cannabinoid system was shown to reduce Aβ brain levels and improve cognitive behavior in AD animal models.

The purpose of the current studies was to investigate the role of the cannabinoid system in the clearance of Aβ across the BBB..

The current studies demonstrate, for the first time, a role for the cannabinoid system in the transit of Aβ across the BBB. These findings provide insight into the mechanism by which cannabinoid treatment reduces Aβ burden in the AD brain and offer additional evidence on the utility of this pathway as a treatment for AD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23831388

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/alzheimers-disease-ad/