“So far, no vaccine has been successfully developed and there is no effective treatment of COVID-19.
Since intensive inflammation leads to disease-induced morbidity and mortality, inhibition of the hyperinflammatory response is a definitive drug therapy objective.
Certainly, there is an urgent need for a substance that can potentially counter the effects of the virus and alleviate the symptoms and severity of the disease.
Could opioids/cannabinoids be an effective treatment for COVID-19?
Since opioids/cannabinoids receptors-based drugs can modulate immune cell migration and cytokine/chemokine secretion, they represent a promising pharmacological platform for developing anti-inflammatory therapeutics.
Therefore in the absence of effective treatments to decrease the damage associated with COVID-19 especially in those admitted to the ICU and suffer from exaggerated inflammatory response, opioids/cannabinoids receptor agonists might potentially open up an effective therapeutic approach in COVID-19 infection.
It is interesting to remember that physicians in the late 19th century used anodynes of opium tincture as a treatment of ‘bronchitis’ and other ailments in infants and children, as case reports and experience ‘demonstrated the efficacy’ of the concoction in controlling coughing and facilitating breathing.
Also, today some products of cannabinoids are used to modulate an inflammatory response. This permits us to rediscover the past and utilize the present, with hopes of finding the missing links in the pathophysiology of COVID-19, and raises the issue of opioids/cannabinoids utilization in the context of COVID-19.
It is suggested that clinical trials could be conducted on opioids/cannabinoids products with immunomodulatory activity. We hope that, with great efforts, scientific support, and sharing of information, the overcoming of COVID-19 will come soon.”
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17476348.2020.1787836
“New neuroprotective treatments of natural origin are being investigated. Both, plant extracts and isolated compounds have shown bioactive effects.
“Thirty years ago, the discovery of a cannabinoid (CB) receptor that interacts with the psychoactive compound in Cannabis led to the identification of anandamide, an endogenous receptor ligand or endocannabinoid. Research on endocannabinoids has since exploded, and additional receptors along with their lipid mediators and signaling pathways continue to be revealed. Specifically, in humans, the release of endocannabinoids from membrane lipids occurs on demand and the signaling process is rapidly attenuated by the breakdown of the ligand suggesting a tight regulation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Additionally, the varying distribution of CB receptors between the central nervous system and other tissues allows for the ECS to participate in a wide range of cognitive and physiological processes. Select plant-derived ‘phyto’cannabinoids such as Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) bind to the CB receptors and trigger the ECS, and in the case of Δ9-THC, while it has therapeutic value, can also produce detrimental effects. Current research is aimed at the identification of additional phytocannabinoids with minimal psychotropic effects with potential for therapeutic development. Although decades of research on the ECS and its components have expanded our understanding of the mechanisms and implications of endocannabinoid signaling in mammals, it continues to evolve. Here, we provide a brief overview of the ECS and its overlap with other related lipid-mediated signaling pathways.”
“Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive psychostimulant.
“The compounds present in cannabis have been in use for both recreational and medicinal purposes for many centuries. Changes in the legislation in South Africa have led to an increase in the number of people interested in using these compounds for self-medication. Many of them may approach their general practitioner as the first source of information about possible therapeutic effects. It is important that medical professionals are able to give patients the correct information. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the main compounds in cannabis plants, and there is evidence that it can successfully treat certain patients with epilepsy. This review looks at the most recent evidence on the use of CBD in the treatment of epilepsy and explores the mechanisms behind these beneficial effects.”
“In this study, we report the potential of cannabidiol, one of the major cannabis constituents, for enhancing osteoblastic differentiation in U2OS and MG-63 cells.
“Highly purified cannabidiol (CBD) (approved as Epidiolex® in the United States) has demonstrated efficacy with an acceptable safety profile in patients with Lennox-Gastaut or Dravet syndrome in four randomized controlled trials. CBD possesses affinity for many target classes with functional effects relevant to the pathophysiology of many disease types, including epilepsy.
“A post-antibiotic world is fast becoming a reality, given the rapid emergence of pathogens that are resistant to current drugs. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover new classes of potent antimicrobial agents with novel modes of action.
