Prevention of Alzheimer’s Could Hinge on Marijuana Science

Posted on May 19, 2014 by David

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

Posted on May 19, 2014 by David

“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 Alzheimers disease: current knowledge and future directions.

Posted on May 19, 2014 by David

“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 Alzheimers 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

Posted on April 7, 2014 by David

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.

Posted on April 1, 2014 by David

“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/

Marijuana may help prevent Alzheimer’s, but research hits dead end

Posted on April 1, 2014 by David

Gary Wenk: When will researchers be able to follow the science when it comes to marijuana?

“Early use of marijuana might forestall the onset of Alzheimer’s and improve memory in old people, says Gary Wenk, a long-time researcher whose work with marijuana and this disease has come to halt.

“We found out that people who smoked dope in the 1960s were not getting Alzheimer’s,” Wenk said. “These 90-year-olds without dementia were telling us things like, ‘Well, I drank whiskey and smoked dope,’ and these are the things they remember. They don’t remember habits like how often they ate broccoli.”

But lately, due to political, legal and financial reasons, his research progress have come to a halt.

“The evidence in animals is clear but making the leap to humans mean that you have to find a drug company willing to handle the lawsuits and the money,” Wenk said.”

http://blog.seattlepi.com/marijuana/2014/03/02/marijuana-may-prevent-alzheimers-but-research-hits-dead-end/#13130103=0&19612101=0

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

Multitarget cannabinoids as novel strategy for Alzheimer disease.

Posted on April 1, 2014 by David

“During the last years the development of approaches to multitarget drug design and discovery is gaining acceptance. The cannabinoids are potentially excellent multi-target drug candidates because of their interesting pharmacological profiles, among which stands out the dual capacity of cannabinoid ligands to act as cannabinoid agonist and cholinesterase inhibitors.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23369066

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

Cannabinoids for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: moving toward the clinic.

Posted on March 19, 2014 by David

“The limited effectiveness of current therapies against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) highlights the need for intensifying research efforts devoted to developing new agents for preventing or retarding the disease process. During the last few years, targeting the endogenous cannabinoid system has emerged as a potential therapeutic approach to treat Alzheimer.

The endocannabinoid system is composed by a number of cannabinoid receptors, including the well-characterized CB1 and CB2 receptors… Several findings indicate that the activation of both CB1 and CB2 receptors by natural or synthetic agonists, at non-psychoactive doses, have beneficial effects in Alzheimer experimental models…

Moreover, endocannabinoid signaling has been demonstrated to modulate numerous concomitant pathological processes, including neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress.

The present paper summarizes the main experimental studies demonstrating the polyvalent properties of cannabinoid compounds for the treatment of AD, which together encourage progress toward a clinical trial.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24634659

“Considering the numerous complex pathological mechanisms involved in the progression of AD, treatments targeting a single causal or modifying factor offer limited benefit. Cannabinoids, however, exhibit pleiotropic activity, targeting in parallel several processes that play key roles in AD…”

Full: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942876/

“Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease pathology by cannabinoids: neuroprotection mediated by blockade of microglial activation…Our results indicate that cannabinoid receptors are important in the pathology of AD and that cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease.” http://www.jneurosci.org/content/25/8/1904.long

Chronic cannabidiol treatment improves social and object recognition in double transgenic APPswe/PS1∆E9 mice.

Posted on March 1, 2014 by David

“Patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) exhibit a decline in cognitive abilities including an inability to recognise familiar faces…

The non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) exerts neuroprotective, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and promotes neurogenesis. CBD also reverses Aβ-induced spatial memory deficits in rodents.

This is the first study to investigate the effect of chronic CBD treatment on cognition in an AD transgenic mouse model.

Our findings suggest that CBD may have therapeutic potential for specific cognitive impairments associated with AD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24577515

Efficacy and safety of medical cannabinoids in older subjects: a systematic review.

Posted on February 13, 2014 by David

“This systematic review aims to integrate the evidence on indications, efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of medical cannabinoids in older subjects…

Although trials studying medical cannabinoids included older subjects, there is a lack of evidence of its use specifically in older patients. Adequately powered trials are needed to assess the efficacy and safety of cannabinoids in older subjects, as the potential symptomatic benefit is especially attractive in this age group.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24509411