“Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) in humans belongs to a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases. No therapeutic treatments against TSEs are currently available. The urgent need to find effective anti-prion therapies has been strengthened by the emergence of variant CJD (vCJD) caused by contaminated beef consumption …
Our results suggest that CBD may protect neurons against the multiple molecular and cellular factors involved in the different steps of the neurodegenerative process, which takes place during prion infection. When combined with its ability to target the brain and its lack of toxic side effects, CBD may represent a promising new anti-prion drug.
Overall, CBD is a promising therapeutic drug against the TSEs because it combines several crucial characteristics. It has a low toxicity and lack of psychotropic side effects as well as in vivo neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-PrPres properties. Because CBD easily crosses the BBB, it also has the potential to be effective after prion infection has reached the CNS. Finally, prolonged treatments with CBD do not induce tolerance, a phenomenon frequently observed with THC. Additional investigations should be performed to define the optimal dose, route, frequency, and duration of the in vivo CBD treatment necessary to prevent TSE infection…”