“We have recently shown that cannabinoids induce growth inhibition and apoptosis in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a malignant B-cell lymphoma that expresses high levels of cannabinoid receptor types 1 and 2 (CB(1) and CB(2)).
In the current study, the role of each receptor and the signal transduction triggered by receptor ligation were investigated.
The present data suggest that targeting CB(1)/CB(2) may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma.”
“We have earlier reported overexpression of the central and peripheral cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In this study, treatment with cannabinoid receptor ligands caused a decrease in viability of MCL cells, while control cells lacking CB1 were not affected.
Our data suggest that cannabinoid receptors may be considered as potential therapeutic targets in MCL.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16337199
“In conclusion, we have found that cannabinoid receptor ligands induce decreased viability, growth suppression and cell death by apoptosis in MCL cells, which express high levels of the CB1 receptor and moderate levels of CB2.
The current results in vitro suggest that CB1/CB2 ligands should be considered as agents for the treatment of MCL.” http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/j.febslet.2005.11.020/full
“Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease for which there is no curative treatment available. Given that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the pathogenesis of HD mouse models, stimulation of specific targets within this signaling system has been investigated as a promising therapeutic agent in HD.
We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over pilot clinical trial with Sativex®, a botanical extract with an equimolecular combination of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. Both Sativex® and placebo were dispensed as an oral spray, to be administered up to 12 sprays/day for 12 weeks.
The primary objective was safety, assessed by the absence of more severe adverse events (SAE) and no greater deterioration of motor, cognitive, behavioral and functional scales during the phase of active treatment. Secondary objectives were clinical improvement of Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale scores.
Twenty-six patients were randomized and 24 completed the trial. After ruling-out period and sequence effects, safety and tolerability were confirmed. No differences on motor (p = 0.286), cognitive (p = 0.824), behavioral (p = 1.0) and functional (p = 0.581) scores were detected during treatment with Sativex® as compared to placebo. No significant molecular effects were detected on the biomarker analysis.
Sativex® is safe and well tolerated in patients with HD, with no SAE or clinical worsening.
No significant symptomatic effects were detected at the prescribed dosage and for a 12-week period. Also, no significant molecular changes were observed on the biomarkers.
Future study designs should consider higher doses, longer treatment periods and/or alternative cannabinoid combinations. Clincaltrals.gov identifier: NCT01502046.”
“Panic disorder (PD) is a disabling psychiatry condition that affects approximately 5% of the worldwide population. Currently, long-term selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the first-line treatment for PD; however, the common side-effect profiles and drug interactions may provoke patients to abandon the treatment, leading to PD symptoms relapse.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the major non-psychotomimetic constituent of the Cannabis sativa plant with anti-anxiety properties that has been suggested as an alternative for treating anxiety disorders.
In the present chapter, we included both experimental laboratory animal and human studies that have investigated the putative anti-panic properties of CBD.
Taken together, the studies assessed in the present chapter clearly suggest an anxiolytic-like effect of CBD in both animal models and healthy volunteers.
Novel clinical trials involving patients with the PD diagnosis, however, are clearly needed to clarify the specific mechanism of action of CBD and the safe and ideal therapeutic doses of this compound.”
“Cannabinoid 1(CB1) receptors are closely correlated to the dopaminergic system and involved in cognitive function. Since statins have been used to regulate the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) via its anti-inflammation and neuroprotective effects, we asked if statins affect the CB1 receptors in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rat.
Our data suggest a critical role of CB1 receptors in treating PD with simvastatin, and implicate CB1 receptors as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of PD.”
“Schizophrenia-related psychosis is associated with disturbances in mesolimbic dopamine (DA) transmission, characterized by hyperdopaminergic activity in the mesolimbic pathway. Currently, the only clinically effective treatment for schizophrenia involves the use of antipsychotic medications that block DA receptor transmission. However, these medications produce serious side effects leading to poor compliance and treatment outcomes.
Emerging evidence points to the involvement of a specific phytochemical component of marijuana called cannabidiol (CBD), which possesses promising therapeutic properties for the treatment of schizophrenia-related psychoses.
Our findings demonstrate a novel mechanism for the putative antipsychotic-like properties of CBD in the mesolimbic circuitry. We identify the molecular signaling pathways through which CBD may functionally reduce schizophrenia-like neuropsychopathology.
The cannabis-derived phytochemical, cannabidiol (CBD), has been shown to have pharmacotherapeutic efficacy for the treatment of schizophrenia.
However, the mechanisms by which CBD may produce antipsychotic effects are entirely unknown. Using preclinical behavioral procedures combined with molecular analyses and in vivo neuronal electrophysiology, our findings identify a functional role for the nucleus accumbens as a critical brain region whereby CBD can produce effects similar to antipsychotic medications by triggering molecular signaling pathways associated with the effects of classic antipsychotic medications.
Specifically, we report that CBD can attenuate both behavioral and dopaminergic neuronal correlates of mesolimbic dopaminergic sensitization, via a direct interaction with mTOR/p70S6 kinase signaling within the mesolimbic pathway.”
“Cannabinoids are known to have an anti-tumorous effect, but the underlying mechanisms are only sparsely understood. Mechanical characteristics of tumor cells represent a promising marker to distinguish between tumor cells and the healthy tissue.
We tested the hypothesis whether cannabinoids influence the tumor cell specific mechanical and migratory properties and if these factors are a prognostic marker for the invasiveness of tumor cells.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27149140
“Glioblastomas (GBM) are tumors that arise from astrocytes—the star-shaped cells that make up the “glue-like,” or supportive tissue of the brain. These tumors are usually highly malignant (cancerous) because the cells reproduce quickly and they are supported by a large network of blood vessels. Glioblastomas are generally found in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain, but can be found anywhere in the brain or spinal cord.” http://www.abta.org/brain-tumor-information/types-of-tumors/glioblastoma.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
“BETWEEN 1840 and 1900, European and American medical journals published more than 100 articles on the therapeutic use of the drug known then as Cannabis indica (or Indian hemp) and now as marihuana.
It was recommended as an appetite stimulant, muscle relaxant, analgesic, hypnotic, and anticonvulsant. As late as 1913 Sir William Osler recommended it as the most satisfactory remedy for migraine.
Today the 5000-year medical history of cannabis has been almost forgotten.
Its use declined in the early 20th century because the potency of preparations was variable, responses to oral ingestion were erratic, and alternatives became available—injectable opiates and, later, synthetic drugs such as aspirin and barbiturates.
In the United States, the final blow was struck by the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Designed to prevent nonmedical use, this law made cannabis so difficult to obtain for medical purposes that it was removed from the pharmacopeia.”
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=388943#Abstract
“Celiac disease can be devastating to those who suffer from it, but evidence suggests that there is a natural plant treatment that can mitigate or even cure the ailment: cannabis.
People who have celiac suffer from autoimmune attacks on their small intestine after eating gluten, which can lead to pain and an inability to absorb nutrients, as well as diabetes, multiple sclerosis and cancer over the long term.
Gluten is ubiquitous in the Western diet and people who take pains to avoid eating it are still likely to consume some by accident on occasion, and even in small amounts gluten can lead to extremely painful and embarrassing episodes.
Fortunately, marijuana may be able to help.
A study published in the PLOS One journal in 2013 suggests that cannabis could play a key role in taming the ravages of celiac. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Teramo in Italy, took intestinal biopsies from celiac patients and looked at the cannabinoid receptors in the gut, which play a role in controlling inflammation and dysfunction. The results showed significantly more receptors in people with an active disease than those who had been treating it with at least 12 months of a gluten-free diet, leading the scientists to suggest that the data “points to the therapeutic potential of targeting [cannabinoid receptors] in patients with celiac disease.”
Anecdotal reports corroborate the study’s findings. Some patients believe that marijuana has actually helped them cure celiac outright.”
http://reset.me/story/cannabis-may-cure-celiac-disease/
“The administration of the cannabinoids THC and CBD limit cancer activity in neuroblastoma cells in culture and in animals, according to preclinical data published in the journal Current Oncology.
Neuroblastoma is an aggressive form of childhood cancer that often goes inadequately addressed by conventional treatment.
Investigators reported that both types of cannabinoids reduced neuroblastoma cell viability, but that CBD demonstrated superior anti-cancer ability. The study is the first to document the anti-cancer properties of CBD in this particular cancerous cell line.
They concluded, “Our findings about the activity of CBD in nbl (neuroblastoma) support and extend previous findings about the anti-tumor activities of CBD in other tumors and suggest that cannabis extracts enriched in CBD and not in THC could be suitable for the development of novel non-psychotropic therapeutic strategies in nbl.” http://enewspf.com/2016/04/21/study-cannabinoids-limit-neuroblastoma-cell-proliferation/