“According to the World Health Organization, the cases of death caused by cancer will have been doubled until the year 2030. By 2010, cancer is expected to be the number one cause of death. Therefore, it is necessary to explore novel approaches for the treatment of cancer. Over past years, the antitumorigenic effects of cannabinoids have emerged as an exciting field in cancer research. Apart from their proapoptotic and antiproliferative action, recent research has shown that cannabinoids may likewise affect tumor cell angiogenesis, migration, invasion, adhesion, and metastasization. This review will summarize the data concerning the influence of cannabinoids on these locomotive processes beyond modulation of cancer cell apoptosis and proliferation. The findings discussed here provide a new perspective on the antitumorigenic potential of cannabinoids.
Conclusion
Recent investigations have shown that besides its well known antiapoptotic and antiproliferative action, cannabinoids may also confer antiangiogenic, antimigrative, antiadhesive, anti-invasive, and antimetastatic properties by pathways including activation of both cannabinoid receptors as well as TRPV1. Although a limited number of studies have been published addressing the underlying mechanisms, the currently available results indicate that the modulation of several components of signal transduction pathways, including Src, nuclear factor κB, ERK1/2, HIF-1α, Akt, and modulation of the expression as well as that of the enzymatic action of proteins of the MMP family, EGF, VEGF, IgSF CAMs, and FAK, by cannabinoids might support beneficial effects on tumor cell locomotion and spreading. Based on these facts, evidence is emerging to suggest that cannabinoids are potent inhibitors of both cancer growth and spreading. Because cannabinoids are usually well tolerated and do not develop the toxic effects of conventional chemotherapeutics, more preclinical studies are warranted to investigate a potential utility of these substances as anticancer therapeutics.”
