Therapeutic Use of Cannabis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Posted on January 6, 2017 by David

“The marijuana plant Cannabis sativa and its derivatives, cannabinoids, have grown increasingly popular as a potential therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Studies have shown that modulation of the endocannabinoid system, which regulates various functions in the body and has been shown to play a key role in the pathogenesis of IBD, has a therapeutic effect in mouse colitis.

The plant Cannabis sativa has been used in medicinal practice for thousands of years. Anecdotal reports have suggested a therapeutic role for cannabis in the treatment of IBD for hundreds of years. A case report from 1990 describes patients with IBD maintaining remission of disease via cannabis use. Cannabinoids appear to have a clear role in gut pathology and offer a potential target for drug intervention in the treatment of IBD. Cannabis seems to be of symptomatic benefit to patients often refractory to conventional medicines.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5193087/

InMed Announces Progress on COPD Treatment Using Cannabinoids

Posted on January 5, 2017 by David

InMed Announces Progress on COPD Treatment Using Cannabinoids

“Recent research has indicated that cannabinoid-based therapies might be effective in ameliorating the most important symptoms of COPD.”

“Researchers have observed that cannabinoids can be bronchodilatory, immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory, suggesting that cannabinoid-based therapies might offer safer and more effective treatment options for COPD.”

“Additionally, studies have suggested that cannabinoids might help promote better sleep, support the immune system, work as an expectorant, relieve pain, and have anti-microbial properties.”

https://copdnewstoday.com/2016/12/08/inmed-announces-progress-copd-treatment-using-cannabinoids/

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/copd-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/

The arguments for and against cannabinoids application in glaucomatous retinopathy.

Posted on December 28, 2016 by David

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“Glaucoma represents several optic neuropathies leading to irreversible blindness through progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss. Reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) is known as the only modifiable factor in the treatment of this disorder.

Application of exogenous cannabinoids to lower IOP has attracted attention of scientists as potential agents for the treatment of glaucoma.

Accordingly, neuroprotective effect of these agents has been recently described through modulation of endocannabinoid system in the eye.

In the present work, pertinent information regarding ocular endocannabinoid system, mechanism of exogenous cannabinoids interaction with the ocular endocannabinoid system to reduce IOP, and neuroprotection property of cannabinoids will be discussed according to current scientific literature.

In addition to experimental studies, bioavailability of cannabinoids, clinical surveys, and adverse effects of application of cannabinoids in glaucoma will be reviewed.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28027538

Cannabidiol Modulates the Expression of Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Genes in Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Posted on December 28, 2016 by David

“Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising tool for the treatment of several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The main neuropathological hallmarks of AD are senile plaques, composed of amyloid beta (Aβ), and neurofibrillary tangles, formed by hyperphosphorylated tau. However, current therapies for AD have shown limited efficacy.

In this study, we evaluated whether pre-treatment with cannabidiol (CBD), at 5 μM concentration, modulated the transcriptional profile of MSCs derived from gingiva (GMSCs) in order to improve their therapeutic potential, by performing a transcriptomic analysis by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform.

By comparing the expression profiles between GMSCs treated with CBD (CBD-GMSCs) and control GMSCs (CTR-GMSCs), we found that CBD led to the downregulation of genes linked to AD, including genes coding for the kinases responsible of tau phosphorylation and for the secretases involved in Aβ generation. In parallel, immunocytochemistry analysis has shown that CBD inhibited the expression of GSK3β, a central player in AD pathogenesis, by promoting PI3K/Akt signalling.

In order to understand through which receptor CBD exerted these effects, we have performed pre-treatments with receptor antagonists for the cannabinoid receptors (SR141716A and AM630) or for the vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPVI). Here, we have proved that TRPV1 was able to mediate the modulatory effect of CBD on the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β axis.

In conclusion, we have found that pre-treatment with CBD prevented the expression of proteins potentially involved in tau phosphorylation and Aβ production in GMSCs. Therefore, we suggested that GMSCs preconditioned with CBD possess a molecular profile that might be more beneficial for the treatment of AD.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28025562

Cannabidiol reduces brain damage and improves functional recovery in a neonatal rat model of arterial ischemic stroke.

Posted on December 26, 2016 by David

Neuropharmacology

“Currently there is no effective treatment for neonatal arterial ischemic stroke (AIS).

Cannabidiol (CBD) is neuroprotective in models of newborn hypoxic-ischemic brain damage and adult stroke.

The purpose of this work was to study the protective effect of CBD in a neonatal rat model of AIS.

RESULTS:

CBD administration improved neurobehavioral function regarding strength, hemiparesis, coordination and sensorimotor performance as assessed at P15 and P38. MRI indicated that CBD did not reduce the volume of infarct but reduced the volume of perilesional gliosis. H⁺-MRS indicated that CBD reduced metabolic derangement and excitotoxicty, and protected astrocyte function. Histologic studies indicated that CBD reduced neuronal loss and apoptosis, and modulated astrogliosis and microglial proliferation and activation.

CONCLUSIONS:

CBD administration after Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO) led to long-term functional recovery, reducing neuronal loss and astrogliosis, and modulating apoptosis, metabolic derangement, excitotoxicity and neuro-inflammation.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28012949

“Post-stroke administration of Cannabidiol (CBD) is neuroprotective in neonatal rats. CBD neuroprotection is sustained in the long term. CBD treatment led to functional recovery in both motor and sensorimotor domains. CBD modulated excitotoxicity, astrocyte dysfunction and microglial activation.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390816305810

Cannabis and epilepsy: An ancient treatment returns to the fore.

Posted on December 20, 2016 by David

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“Cannabis has been associated with the treatment of epilepsy throughout history, and if ancient Assyrian sources referring to “hand of ghost” are considered credible, this relationship may span four millennia.

A tradition of usage continued in Arabic medicine and Ayurvedic practice in India, which led, in turn, to early experiments in Europe and North America with “Indian hemp.”

Lack of standardization, bioavailability issues, and ultimately prohibition were all factors in cannabis-based medicines failing to maintain mainstream usage in seizure treatment, but investigation was resumed in the 1970s with interesting signals noted in both laboratory and clinical settings.

Early case studies showed promise, but lacked sufficient rigor. Resumption of research coupled with mass experimentation by families of epilepsy patients has led to intense interest in cannabis-based medicines for its treatment once more, with greatest focus on cannabidiol, but additional investigation of tetrahydrocannabinol, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, and other phytocannabinoids.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27989385

Bidirectional Effects of Cannabidiol on Contextual Fear Memory Extinction

Posted on December 18, 2016 by David

“Cannabidiol (CBD) is the major non-psychotropic constituent of the Cannabis plant and has anxiolytic therapeutic potential.

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been established to have both acute and long-lasting effects to reduce fear memory expression.

We showed that under conditions of strong fear conditioning, CBD reduced contextual fear memory expression both acutely during the extinction session as well as later at a fear retention test.

This pattern of results is consistent with CBD enhancing contextual fear memory extinction when the initial conditioning is strong, but impairing extinction when conditioning is weak. This bidirectional effect of CBD may be related to stress levels induced by conditioning and evoked at retrieval during extinction, rather than the strength of the memory per se.

In summary, CBD had bidirectional effects on the extinction of contextual fear conditioning, depending on the nature of the initial fear conditioning. Nevertheless, in the more translationally-relevant stronger conditioning setting, CBD both acutely inhibited fear expression and enhanced extinction to produce longer lasting reductions in fear.

These observations provide further support for the potential translational use of CBD in conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder and specific phobias.”

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphar.2016.00493/full?utm_source=S-TWT&utm_medium=SNET&utm_campaign=ECO_FPHAR_XXXXXXXX_auto-dlvrit%0A

Inhibition of cervical cancer cell proliferation by cannabidiol

Posted on December 17, 2016 by David

“Seventy phytocannabinoids are now known to be synthesized by Cannabis sativa (marijuana)]. The major non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits antiproliferative effects against breast, cervix, colon, glioma, leukemia, ovary, prostate, and thyroid cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative effect of CBD on the ME-180 cervical cancer cell line. The results of our study suggest that CBD exerts its antiproliferative effect via multiple mechanisms, and it could be a potential treatment for cervical cancer.”

https://www.thieme-connect.com/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0036-1596862

The use of cannabinoids (CBs) for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN): A retrospective review.

Posted on December 16, 2016 by David

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“CIPN is a common toxicity associated with the use of chemotherapy (CT) agents such as platinums, taxanes and vinca alkaloids. Patients (pts) may suffer from pain that adversely affects their quality of life, regardless of their disease trajectory.

Preclinical research has shown CBs to be effective in preventing CIPN.

CBs can be beneficial for cancer pain, although their specific benefit in pts with CIPN remains unknown.

Treatment with CBs appears to benefit some pts with CIPN.

Further research is needed to explore the optimal use of CBs in pts with CIPN.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27962037

An observational postmarketing safety registry of patients in the UK, Germany, and Switzerland who have been prescribed Sativex® (THC:CBD, nabiximols) oromucosal spray.

Posted on December 14, 2016 by David

“The global exposure of Sativex^® (Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]:cannabidiol [CBD], nabiximols) is estimated to be above 45,000 patient-years since it was given marketing approval for treating treatment-resistant spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS).

An observational registry to collect safety data from patients receiving THC:CBD was set up following its approval in the UK, Germany, and Switzerland, with the aim of determining its long-term safety in clinical practice.

Twice a year, the Registry was opened to prescribing physicians to voluntarily report data on patients’ use of THC:CBD, clinically significant adverse events (AEs), and special interest events. The Registry contains data from 941 patients with 2,213.98 patient-years of exposure.

Within this cohort, 60% were reported as continuing treatment, while 83% were reported as benefiting from the treatment. Thirty-two percent of patients stopped treatment, with approximately one third citing lack of effectiveness and one quarter citing AEs.

Psychiatric AEs of clinical significance were reported in 6% of the patients, 6% reported falls requiring medical attention, and suicidality was reported in 2%. Driving ability was reported to have worsened in 2% of patients, but improved in 7%.

AEs were more common during the first month of treatment. The most common treatment-related AEs included dizziness (2.3%) and fatigue (1.7%).

There were no signals to indicate abuse, diversion, or dependence.

The long-term risk profile from the Registry is consistent with the known (labeled) safety profile of THC:CBD, and therefore supports it being a well-tolerated and beneficial medication for the treatment of MS spasticity.

No evidence of new long-term safety concerns has emerged.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27956834