“Tetrahydrocannabinol is a potent inhibitor of proliferation in cultured breast cancer cells and exerts its effect through the JunD transcription factor complex, researchers report.
There is increasing evidence that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, possess antitumoral properties by inhibiting proliferation and angiogenesis or promoting apoptosis.
A previous study reported by MedWire News showed that cannabidiol, a non-toxic phytocannabinoid, can inhibit breast cancer spread in a rodent model of the disease.
In the present study, Cristina Sanchez (Complutense University, Madrid, Spain) and colleagues turned their attention to the more potent plant-derived cannabinoid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
“These findings point therefore to a new target to inhibit breast cancer progression, which may contribute to the design of efficient treatments for this malignancy,’ Sanchez et al conclude in the journal Oncogene.”