Category Archives: News Stories

Cannabidiol (CBD) Shown To Kill Breast Cancer Cells

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 “Cannabidiol (CBD) has been on the receiving end of a lot of attention from the scientific community for several decades now. However, it is only now that we are really starting to begin to get a grasp on how wonderful this cannabinoid truly is.

 

A study from 2011 states that cannabidiol is considered an antineoplastic agent on the basis of its in vitro and in vivo activity against tumor cells. However, the exact molecular mechanism through which CBD works in this capacity is yet to be understood. The study, titled “Cannabidiol Induces Programmed Cell Death in Breast Cancer Cells by Coordinating the Cross-talk between Apoptosis and Autophagy,” focuses on how CBD can kill breast cancer cells. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women in the United States.

What the scientists found was that CBD influences apoptosis by interacting with a key protein, called beclin-1, found within the cancerous cell. Beclin-1 is also known to play a key role in autophagy, or cellular self-degradation of non-vital components, which may lead to programmed cell death. This causes a distortion of the electrical signals between the outer mitochondrial membrane and the rest of the cell, disrupting the transfer to the cell interior of certain molecules that are necessary for metabolism. What this means is that the cell cannot transfer energy, and the cell starves to death, and in doing so activates the self-destruction process of apoptosis.

The study concludes by stating, “In summary, we showed that CBD, a plant-derived cannabinoid, preferentially kills breast cancer cells by inducing ER stress, inhibiting mTOR signaling, enhancing ROS generation, and mediating a complex balance between autophagy and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. These findings support the continued exploration of CBD as an alternative agent for breast cancer treatment.””

http://cbdgum.networkofhemp.com/cannabidiol-cbd-shown-to-kill-breast-cancer-cells/

“Cannabidiol Induces Programmed Cell Death in Breast Cancer Cells by Coordinating the Cross-talk between Apoptosis and Autophagy… In summary, we showed that CBD, a plant-derived cannabinoid, preferentially kills breast cancer cells…” http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/10/7/1161.full

THC Gives Cancer Cells the Munchies Too

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“…THC and other cannabinoids are actively being investigated for various useful clinical purposes, including the treatment of cancer through the inhibition of tumor growth.

A new study by Salazar et al. in The Journal of Clinical Investigation demonstrates that THC causes tumor cells to begin to degrade themselves from the inside (a process called autophagy, i.e. “self-eating”). Although autophagy has been shown to promote cell survival in some cases and cell death in others, the authors show that in this case it causes cancer cells to undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis). Thus, THC activates a series of events within cancer cells, inhibiting tumor growth.”

More: http://scienceblogs.com/scientificactivist/2009/04/02/thc-gives-cancer-cells-the-mun/

“Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2673842/

No Association Between Frequency of Marijuana Use and Health or Healthcare Utilization

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“Researchers from Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found frequency of marijuana use was not significantly associated with health services utilization or health status. These findings currently appear online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

As marijuana’s legal status changes across the US, its impact on health has become of great interest. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, yet its impact on health and healthcare utilization has not been studied extensively.

The researchers studied 589 adults who screened positive for drug use at a primary care visit. Those patients were asked about their drug use, their emergency room use and hospitalizations, and their overall health status. In addition, information about other medical diagnoses was obtained from their medical records. They found the vast majority of the study sample (84 percent) used marijuana, 25 percent used cocaine, 23 percent opioids and eight percent used other drugs; 58 percent reported using marijuana but no other drugs. They also found no differences between daily marijuana users and those using no marijuana in their use of the emergency room, in hospitalizations, medical diagnoses or their health status.

According to the researchers it is common for users of illicit drugs to use both marijuana and another drug; therefore, knowing the incremental effects of marijuana on health in that circumstance is important.

“Even though we could not compare marijuana users to those who used no drugs at all, our findings suggest that marijuana use has little measurable effect on self-reported health or healthcare utilization in adults using drugs identified in a primary care clinic,” said lead author Daniel Fuster, MD, a postdoctoral scholar from the Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit at BMC and BUSM.”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130923143638.htm

“No Detectable Association Between Frequency of Marijuana Use and Health or Healthcare Utilization Among Primary Care Patients Who Screen Positive for Drug Use.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24048656

 “Cannabis Consumption Has No Negative Effect on Health, According to New Study” https://thejointblog.com/cannabis-consumption-negative-effect-health-according-new-study/

Marijuana’s Active Ingredient Targets Deadly Brain Cancer – WebMD

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“If results of a recent rat study hold true in human trials, marijuana could be the treatment of choice for patients with malignant glioma — an especially aggressive and often fatal form of brain cancer.

 No, rats haven’t started smoking pot. But when researchers injected tumorous animals with cannabinoids — the drug’s active ingredient — about a third of them went into remission, and another third lived significantly longer than untreated rats.

The findings appear in the March issue of the journal Nature Medicine…

According to lead researcher Manuel Guzmán, PhD, his team’s previous studies showed that cannabinoids could stop growth and kill cancer cells but did not harm normal cells. The current work examined the action behind this effect and whether it would also work in living animals…

The researchers first caused tumors in the brains of 18 rats. They then injected the animals over the course of seven days with either a natural or artificial cannabinoid, or a placebo for comparison. Additional groups of healthy, tumor-free rats also received the various treatments…

All of the untreated animals with tumors died between days 12 and 18, but those treated with the cannabinoids lived much longer, and had significantly smaller tumors…

There were no negative side effects at all in the healthy animals receiving treatment.”

More:http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20000228/marijuanas-active-ingredient-targets-deadly-brain-cancer

“Anti-tumoral action of cannabinoids: Involvement of sustained ceramide accumulation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation” http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v6/n3/abs/nm0300_313.html

Marijuana May Stall Brain Tumor Growth – WebMD

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“Active Ingredient in Marijuana Inhibits Cancer Growth in Early Study.
 
The active ingredient in marijuana may help fight brain tumors, a new study suggests.
 

Researchers say the cannabinoids found in marijuana may aid in brain tumor treatment by targeting the genes needed for the tumors to sprout blood vessels and grow.

Their study showed that cannabinoids inhibited genes needed for the production of vascular growth factor (VEGF) in laboratory mice with glioma brain tumors and two patients with late-stage glioblastoma multiforme, a form of brain cancer.

VEGF is a protein that stimulates blood vessels to grow. Tumors need an abundant blood supply because they generally grow rapidly. So when VEGF is blocked, tumors starve from lack of blood supply and nutrients.

Blocking of VEGF constitutes one of the most promising tumor-fighting approaches currently available, says researcher Manuel Guzman, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, at the Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, in a news release.”

More:http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20040815/marijuana-stall-brain-tumor-growth 

“Cannabinoids Inhibit the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Pathway in Gliomas”:  http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/64/16/5617.long

 

Unhappy Couple
 

Pot Slows Cancer in Test Tube – WebMD

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“THC and another marijuana-derived compound slow the spread of cervical and lung cancers, test-tube studies suggest.

The new findings add to the fast-growing number of animal and cell-culture studies showing different anticancer effects for cannabinoids, chemical compounds derived from marijuana.

Cannabinoids, and sometimes marijuana itself, are currently used to lessen the nausea and pain experienced by many cancer patients. The new findings — suggest that cannabinoids may have a direct anticancer effect.

“Cannabinoids’ … potential therapeutic benefit in the treatment of highly invasive cancers should be addressed in clinical trials,” conclude Robert Ramer, PhD, and Burkhard Hinz, PhD, of the University of Rostock, Germany…

Doses of THC that reduce pain in cancer patients yield blood concentrations much higher than the concentrations needed to inhibit cancer invasion.

“Thus the effects of THC on cell invasion occurred at therapeutically relevant concentrations,” Ramer and Hinz note…

Ramer and Hinz report the findings in the Jan. 2, 2008 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.”

More: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20071226/pot-slows-cancer-in-test-tube

“Inhibition of Cancer Cell Invasion by Cannabinoids via Increased Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1”: http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/100/1/59.long

Marijuana Inhibits Tumors

Study Links Obesity, Cancer – News

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“Study Links Obesity, Cancer” http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3438650n

“‘Direct link’ between cancer and obesity” http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/direct-link-between-cancer-and-obesity-398386.html

 “Obesity link to cancer” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1334311.stm 

“Study supports link between obesity and higher incidence of cancer, poorer prognosis” http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-link-obesity-higher-incidence-cancer.html

“Obesity-Cancer Link Detailed” http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/36204/title/Obesity-Cancer-Link-Detailed/

  “Obesity Linked to Many Cancer Cases in U.S.” http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20091105/obesity-linked-to-many-cancer-cases-in-us

“Increased obesity means increased cancer cases” http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/05/increased-obesity-means-increased-cancer-cases/

 “Obesity responsible for 100,000 cancer cases annually” http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/05/obesity.cancer.link/

“Obesity is now the leading cause of cancer” http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/obesity-leading-cancer-article-1.403496

“Obesity as a Cause of Endometrial Cancer: Gynecologic Oncologists to Add Perspective on New Report” http://www.newswise.com/articles/obesity-as-a-cause-of-endometrial-cancer-gynecologic-oncologists-to-add-perspective-on-new-report

“Obesity Helps Spur Cancer’s Growth, Mouse Study Suggests” http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/cancer/obesity-helps-spur-cancers-growth-mouse-study-suggests

“Obesity makes cancer harder to treat – researchers” http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?id=9167668

“Childhood Obesity linked to Colorectal Cancer” http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/childhood-obesity-linked-colorectal-cancer/

“Childhood obesity linked to bladder, urinary cancer” http://india.nydailynews.com/business/007bed187246683db27f00329afb7e2a/childhood-obesity-linked-to-bladder-urinary-cancer

“Study links childhood obesity to cancer in adults”  http://www.jpost.com/Health-and-Science/Study-links-childhood-obesity-to-cancer-in-adults 

 “Weight Gain and Obesity Linked with Endometrial Cancer Risk” http://news.yale.edu/2011/03/16/weight-gain-and-obesity-linked-endometrial-cancer-risk 

 “Athlone scientist reveals link between obesity and oesophageal cancer” http://www.westmeathindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2013/07/03/4016553-athlone-scientist-reveals-link-between-obesity-and-oesophageal-cancer/

“Scientists uncover key mechanism that links obesity and diabetes with cancer” http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130201/Scientists-uncover-key-mechanism-that-links-obesity-and-diabetes-with-cancer.aspx

 “Obesity Gene Linked To Skin Cancer” http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/257159.php

“Obesity linked to liver cancer, gallbladder cancer” http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Non-food/Disease/obesity_liver_cancer_gallbladder_cancer_0917120712.html

“Obesity linked to womb cancer rise” http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinical-zones/public-health/obesity-linked-to-womb-cancer-rise/5017506.article

“Obesity Linked to Ovarian Cancer” http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=6581157&page=1

“Obesity genes linked to uterine cancer” http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2012/01/obesity-uterine-cancer/

 “Obesity Linked to Ovarian Cancer” http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2009-01-05/news/36784799_1_ovarian-cancer-obese-women-normal-weight-women

“Obesity Linked to More Advanced and More Aggressive Thyroid Cancer” http://www.familypracticenews.com/news/more-top-news/single-view/obesity-linked-to-more-advanced-and-more-aggressive-thyroid-cancer/30971304ec4a03ee4ce8abd728da736c.html

“Obesity Linked to Higher Risk for Aggressive Thyroid Cancer” http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/764234

 “Pancreatic cancer and obesity linked” http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/06/pancreatic-cancer-and-obesity-linked.html

 “Obesity linked to rise in kidney cancer” http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/news/archive/pressrelease/2002-09-21-obesity-linked-to-rise-in-kidney-cancer

 “Obesity fuels record rise in kidney cancers” http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/03march/Pages/Obesity-fuels-kidney-cancer-rise.aspx

 “Obesity Linked to Prostate Cancer, Study Finds” http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20130423/obesity-linked-to-prostate-cancer-study-finds

“Obesity Raises Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer” http://www.renalandurologynews.com/obesity-raises-risk-of-aggressive-prostate-cancer/article/202883/#

 “Obesity increases men’s risk of dying from prostate cancer” http://www.nbcnews.com/health/obesity-increases-mens-risk-dying-prostate-cancer-6C9566874 

“Researchers discover link between obesity gene and breast cancer” http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-link-obesity-gene-breast-cancer.html

 

 “Breast Cancer Linked to Obesity Gene, New Research Suggests” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110523124402.htm 

 

“Research Piles Up on Links Between Cancer and Obesity” http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/06/23/research-piles-up-on-links-between-cancer-and-obesity/

Cannabis may provide novel ‘cure’ for prostate cancers

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Cannabis-Sativa3

“Cannabis, Indian Hemp or rather marijuana may provide the novel treatment for prostate cancer by acting as analgesia on bone pain, improving quality of life, while reducing narcotic consumption and preventing opioid dependence.”

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php/features/natural-health/131865-cannabis-may-provide-novel-cure-for-prostate-cancers

Cannabinoid receptors give cells the tools they need to defend against HIV infection

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“Researchers have reported that when healthy cells were placed in a sample dish with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), along with a dose of cannabinoids, the cells, which normally would rather quickly become infected, simply denied entry to the virus, and responded as if it were not a threat at all…
 

HIV isn’t special – cannabinoids don’t like any viruses

The stimulation of the receptors wasn’t just detrimental to the AIDS virus, it increased the cells abilities to defend itself against any number of viruses and bacteria…”

More: http://www.naturalnews.com/035656_cannabinoids_HIV_marijuana.html

Therapeutic potential of cannabinoid medicines.

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Drug Testing and Analysis

“Cannabis was extensively used as a medicine throughout the developed world in the nineteenth century but went into decline early in the twentieth century ahead of its emergence as the most widely used illicit recreational drug later that century. Recent advances in cannabinoid pharmacology alongside the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) have re-ignited interest in cannabis-based medicines.

The ECS has emerged as an important physiological system and plausible target for new medicines. Its receptors and endogenous ligands play a vital modulatory role in diverse functions including immune response, food intake, cognition, emotion, perception, behavioural reinforcement, motor co-ordination, body temperature, wake/sleep cycle, bone formation and resorption, and various aspects of hormonal control. In disease it may act as part of the physiological response or as a component of the underlying pathology.

In the forefront of clinical research are the cannabinoids delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, and their contrasting pharmacology will be briefly outlined. The therapeutic potential and possible risks of drugs that inhibit the ECS will also be considered. This paper will then go on to review clinical research exploring the potential of cannabinoid medicines in the following indications: symptomatic relief in multiple sclerosis, chronic neuropathic pain, intractable nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and weight in the context of cancer or AIDS, psychosis, epilepsy, addiction, and metabolic disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24006213

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dta.1529/abstract