“Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids exert pro-apoptotic actions in tumor cells via the CB2 cannabinoid receptor…
Here we used the human leukemia cell line Jurkat-that expresses CB2 as the unique CB receptor-to investigate…
In summary, results presented here show that CB2 receptor activation signals apoptosis via a ceramide-dependent stimulation of the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway.”
“Cannabinoids, the biologically active constituents of marijuana (Cannabis sativa)…
Plant-derived cannabinoids, including Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), induce apoptosis in leukemic cells…
cannabinoids were shown to inhibit the proliferation of several human cancer cell lines, including leukemia…
Together, these data suggested that Raf-1/MEK/ERK/RSK-mediated Bad translocation played a critical role in THC-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells…
THC and other cannabinoids can induce apoptosis in a variety of tumor cell lines, thereby raising the possibility of the use of cannabinoids as novel anticancer agents…”
“Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active metabolite of cannabis, which has demonstrable cytotoxic activity in vitro. In support of our previously published data, we have investigated the interactions between THC and anti-leukemia therapies and studied the role of the signalling pathways in mediating these effects.
Results showed clear synergistic interactions between THC and the cytotoxic agents in leukemic cells…
Overall, these results demonstrate for the first time that a combination approach with THC and established cytotoxic agents may enhance cell death in vitro. Additionally the MAPK/ERK pathway appears responsible in part for these effects.”
“Plant-derived cannabinoids, such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), the main psychoactive and nonpsychoactive components of cannabis, respectively, possess myriad pharmacological properties…
Cannabidiol (CBD), a prominent psychoinactive component of cannabis with negligible affinity for known cannabinoid receptors, exerts numerous pharmacological actions, including anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects…
Together, these results support existence of yet-to-be identified sites of interaction, i.e., receptors and/or ion channels associated with Ca2+ influx of natural cannabinoids such as CBD and THC, the identification of which has the potential to provide for novel strategies and agents of therapeutic interest.”
“Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol has been shown to induce incomplete maturation in ML2 human leukemia cell lines.
We extend the observation of its induction of morphologic maturation to HL60 cells and of its induction of growth restriction to HL60 and K562 cells.
We show that tetrahydrocannabinol reduces the cyclic AMP content of ML2 cells.
Finally we demonstrate that this agent inhibits adenyl cyclase activity in ML2 cell membrane-enriched fractions.
This finding in myeloid cells is compatible with one hypothesis of cannabinoid action in neuronal cells.”
“Monocyte maturation markers were induced in cultured human myeloblastic ML-2 leukemia cells after treatment for 1-6 days with 0.03-30 microM delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive component of marijuana…
Cannabinoids induce incomplete maturation of cultured human leukemia cells…
Findings obtained from this system may have important implications for studies of cannabinoid effects on normal human bone-marrow progenitor cells.”
“In the current study, we examined whether ligation of CB2 receptors would lead to induction of apoptosis in tumors of immune origin and whether CB2 agonist could be used to treat such cancers.
Exposure of murine tumors EL-4, LSA, and P815 to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in vitro led to a significant reduction in cell viability and an increase in apoptosis…
Culture of primary acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells with THC in vitro reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis.
Together, the current data demonstrate that CB2 cannabinoid receptors expressed on malignancies of the immune system may serve as potential targets for the induction of apoptosis. Also, because CB2 agonists lack psychotropic effects, they may serve as novel anticancer agents to selectively target and kill tumors of immune origin.”
http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/100/2/627.long
“We examined whether treatment of tumor-bearing mice with THC was effective at killing tumor cells in vivo… These data suggest that THC was effective in vivo to induce apoptosis and kill the tumor cells… THC treatment can cure tumor-bearing mice… they were completely cured…Taken together, these results suggest that THC can exert anticancer properties in vivo.” http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/100/2/627.long?sso-checked=1
“Targeting cannabinoid receptors has recently been shown to trigger apoptosis and offers a novel treatment modality against malignancies of the immune system.
In this study, we used human Jurkat leukemia cell lines with defects in intrinsic and extrinsic signaling pathways to elucidate the mechanism of apoptosis induced by Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)…
Together, these data suggest that the intrinsic pathway plays a more critical role in THC-induced apoptosis while the extrinsic pathway may facilitate apoptosis via cross-talk with the intrinsic pathway.”
“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
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
