“Cannabinoids have been reported to possess anti-tumorigenic activity in cancer models…
Here, we show that the synthetic cannabinoid WIN55,212-2 (WIN)-induced apoptosis in colon cancer cell lines is accompanied by endoplasmic reticulum stress induction.
In conclusion, at our knowledge, our results are the first to show that the reduction of PPARγ levels contributes to WIN-induced colon carcinoma cell death by blocking the pro-survival autophagic response of cells.”
“We previously demonstrated that cannabidiol (CBD) was a potent mechanism-based inhibitor of human cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1)…
These results suggest that the methylresorcinol structure in CBD may have structurally important roles in the inactivation of CYP1A1.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24667653
“Our recent work has shown that cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits the most potent direct inhibition of human cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1)…
These results suggest that the pentylresorcinol structure in CBD may have structurally important roles in direct CYP1A1 inhibition, although the whole structure of CBD is required for overall inhibition.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23811569
“Inhibitory effects of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN), the three major constituents in marijuana, on catalytic activities of human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1 enzymes were investigated.
These results indicated that CBD and CBN showed CYP1 isoform-selective direct inhibition and that CBD was characterized as a potent mechanism-based inhibitor of human CYP1 enzymes, especially CYP1A1.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20117100
“Because THC-like compounds are used to inhibit nausea and induce appetite in cancer patients, and anandamide appears to be an endogenous orexigenic mediator, the finding of possible antitumor effect for these substances might have a tremendous potential for therapeutic intervention in preventing the progression of cancer and, at the same time, in alleviating its symptoms.
Because multiple pathways are important for the proliferation of tumor cells and because combination therapies are often more effective than single-drug administration, cannabimimetic substances may complement other anticancer agents…”
http://www.fasebj.org/content/early/2001/12/02/fj.01-0320fje.long
“Targeting the RAS oncogene.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3804031/
“Both natural and synthetic cannabinoids have been shown to suppress the growth of tumor cells in culture and in animal models by affecting key signaling pathways including angiogenesis, a pivotal step in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis.
In our search for cannabinoid-like anticancer agents devoid of psychoactive side effects, we synthesized and evaluated the anti-angiogenic effects of a novel series of hexahydrocannabinol analogs.
…two analogs LYR-7 [(9S)-3,6,6,9-tetramethyl-6a,7,8,9,10,10a-hexahydro-6H-benzo[c]chromen-1-ol] and LYR-8 [(1-((9S)-1-hydroxy-6,6,9-trimethyl-6a,7,8,9,10,10a-hexahydro-6H-benzo[c]chromen-2-yl)ethanone)]…
…these results suggest that novel synthetic hexahydrocannabinol analogs, LYR-7 and LYR-8, inhibit tumor growth by targeting VEGF-mediated angiogenesis signaling in endothelial cells and suppressing VEGF production and cancer cell growth.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20950604
“Cannabinoid compounds have been shown to exert anti-tumor effects by affecting angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis.
In the present study, we examined the action mechanism by which a novel hexahydrocannabinol analog, exerts anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor activity in human cancer xenografts.
These results indicate a novel function of cannabinoid-like compound as an anti-tumor agent.”
“The efficacy of cannabinoids against high-grade glioma in animal models, mediated by two specific receptors, CB1 and CB2, raised promises for targeted treatment of the most frequent and malignant primary brain tumors.
Unlike the abundantly expressed CB1, the CB2 receptor shows a restricted distribution in normal brain. Although brain tumors constitute the second most common malignancy in children and the prevalence of histological types of brain tumors vary significantly between the adult and pediatric populations, cannabinoid receptor expression in pediatric tumors remains unknown.
In the present study, we compared the expression of the CB2 receptor in paraffin-embedded sections from primary brain tumors of adult and pediatric patients. Most glioblastomas expressed very high levels of CB2 receptors and the expression correlated with tumor grade.
Interestingly, some benign pediatric astrocytic tumors, such as subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA), which may occasionally cause mortality owing to progressive growth, also displayed high CB2 immunoreactivity.
The high levels of CB2 expression would predestine those tumors to be vulnerable to cannabinoid treatment.
In contrast, all examined cases of embryonal tumors (medulloblastoma and S-PNET), the most frequently diagnosed malignant brain tumors in childhood, showed no or trace CB2 immunoreactivity.
Our results suggest that the CB2 receptor expression depends primarily on the histopathological origin of the brain tumor cells and differentiation state, reflecting the tumor grade.”
“Phototherapy is a powerful, noninvasive approach for cancer treatment, with several agents currently in clinical use.
…we developed a phototherapy agent that combines a functional ligand and a near infrared phthalocyanine dye. Our target is type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2R), considered an attractive therapeutic target for phototherapy given it is overexpressed by many types of cancers that are located at a surface or can be reached by an endoscope.
Overall, this opens up the opportunity for development of an alternative treatment option for CB2R-positive cancers.”
“More than 60% of advanced cancer patients suffer from anorexia and cachexia.
This review focuses on the possible mechanisms by which the endocannabinoid system antagonizes cachexia-anorexia processes in cancer patients and how it can be tapped for therapeutic applications.
Cannabinoids stimulate appetite and food intake…
Cannabinoid type 1 receptor activation stimulates appetite and promotes lipogenesis and energy storage.
Further study of cancer-cachexia pathophysiology and the role of endocannabinoids will help us to develop cannabinoids without psychotropic properties, which will help cancer patients suffering from cachexia and improve outcomes of clinical antitumor therapy.”