“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.”
“Experimental animal models of migraine have suggested the existence of interactions between the endocannabinoid system and pain mediation in migraine.
Extensive evidence has demonstrated a role for the cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor in antinociception.
…recent research suggests that also CB2 receptors, especially located outside the central nervous system, play a role in the perception of pain…
In this study we evaluated the role of CB2 receptors in two animal models of pain that may be relevant for migraine…
These findings suggest that the pharmacological manipulation of the CB2 receptor may represent a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of migraine.”
“The limited effectiveness of current therapies against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) highlights the need for intensifying research efforts devoted to developing new agents for preventing or retarding the disease process. During the last few years, targeting the endogenous cannabinoid system has emerged as a potential therapeutic approach to treat Alzheimer.
The endocannabinoid system is composed by a number of cannabinoid receptors, including the well-characterized CB1 and CB2 receptors… Several findings indicate that the activation of both CB1 and CB2 receptors by natural or synthetic agonists, at non-psychoactive doses, have beneficial effects in Alzheimer experimental models…
Moreover, endocannabinoid signaling has been demonstrated to modulate numerous concomitant pathological processes, including neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress.
The present paper summarizes the main experimental studies demonstrating the polyvalent properties of cannabinoid compounds for the treatment of AD, which together encourage progress toward a clinical trial.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24634659
“Considering the numerous complex pathological mechanisms involved in the progression of AD, treatments targeting a single causal or modifying factor offer limited benefit. Cannabinoids, however, exhibit pleiotropic activity, targeting in parallel several processes that play key roles in AD…”
Full: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942876/
“GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH)… touted the extended breadth of its cannabinoid drugs: beyond treating pediatric epilepsy and cancer pain, GWPH says it has the capabilities to treat Type 2 diabetes and schizophrenia. This would position GWPH as a fantastic pharma stock play,..
“As GW continues to progress its clinical work with cannabinoids, our pipeline has the potential to yield, as it did with Epidiolex, a flow of exciting new product candidates in a wide variety of therapeutic areas,” said Dr. Stephen Wright, GW’s Director of Research and Development.
GW has started Phase 2a trial using to treat schizophrenia featuring purified CBD as its active ingredient.”
“Clinical and neurobiological findings suggest that the cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system may be implicated in the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia.
Our results reinforce the role of the endocannabinoid system in the sensorimotor gating impairment related to schizophrenia, and point to cannabinoid drugs as potential therapeutic strategies.”
“…the Cannabis sativa herb has been known for its therapeutic benefit for centuries… interest in the clinical potential of cannabinoid-based drugs escalated after the discovery of the endocannabinoid system… therapeutic applications of cannabinoids (plant-derived or synthetic)… may constitute a useful addition to the pharmacotherapeutic armamentarium in chronic conditions insufficiently alleviated by existing drugs.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22646020
“The endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic exploitation.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15340387
“Cannabinoid receptors as therapeutic targets.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16402900
“Cannabinoids.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16266285
“Plant, synthetic, and endogenous cannabinoids in medicine.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16409166
“Cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors are highly expressed in the brain… Endogenous cannabinoid signaling is modulated by high-fat diet (HFD).
We investigated the consequences of congenital lack of CB1 receptors on sleep in mice fed standard diet (SD) and HFD.
CB1 cannabinoid receptor knock-out (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were fed SD or HFD for 4 months .
The occurrence of multiple sleep alterations in KO indicates important roles of CB1 cannabinoid receptors in limiting arousal during the active period of the day, in sleep regulation, and in sleep EEG in mice.”
“Several studies in cell cultures and in animal models have demonstrated that cannabinoids have important antitumoral properties… many of these effects are mediated through cannabinoid (CB) receptors CB1 and CB2…
The obtained data suggest a possible implication of the endocannabinoid system in renal carcinogenesis.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2989249/
“Objective: To analyze the mRNA and protein expression of cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 in chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (ChRCC) and renal oncocytoma (RO)…
Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that CB1 mRNA was underexpressed by 12-fold in ChRCC and had a variable expression in RO. CB1 protein showed intense positive immunostaining in both neoplasms. Both CB2 mRNA and protein were not expressed in tumor and non tumorrenal tissue.
This distinct immunoprofile may eventually be used as an additional tool with practical interest in the differential diagnosis of renal tumors.”
“Extensive structure-activity relationship studies have demonstrated that specific requirements within the cannabinoid structure are necessary to produce potent analgesia.
A three-point association between the agonist and the receptor mediating analgesia consists of: 1) the C ring hydroxyl, 2) the phenolic A ring hydroxyl, and 3) the A ring alkyl hydrophobic side chain. Potent tricyclic and bicyclic structures were synthesized as “nonclassical” cannabinoid analgetics that conform to this agonist-receptor three-point interaction model.
At the cellular level, centrally active cannabinoid drugs inhibit adenylate cyclase activity in a neuroblastoma cell line. The structure-activity relationship profile for inhibition of adenylate cyclase in vitro was consistent with this same three-point association of agonists with the receptor.
A correlation exists between the potency of drugs to produce analgesia in vivo and to inhibit adenylate cyclase in vitro.
Based on the parallels in structure-activity relationships and the enantioselective effects, it is postulated that the receptor that is associated with the regulation of adenylate cyclase in vitro may be the same receptor as that mediating analgesia in vivo.
A conceptualization of the cannabinoid analgetic receptor is presented.”