Tag Archives: cannabidiol

Cannabidiol in Humans-The Quest for Therapeutic Targets.

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“Cannabidiol (CBD), a major phytocannabinoid constituent of cannabis, is attracting growing attention in medicine for its anxiolytic, antipsychotic, antiemetic and anti-inflammatory properties.

However, up to this point, a comprehensive literature review of the effects of CBD in humans is lacking. The aim of the present systematic review is to examine the randomized and crossover studies that administered CBD to healthy controls and to clinical patients.

A systematic search was performed in the electronic databases PubMed and EMBASE using the key word “cannabidiol”. Both monotherapy and combination studies (e.g., CBD + ∆9-THC) were included. A total of 34 studies were identified: 16 of these were experimental studies, conducted in healthy subjects, and 18 were conducted in clinical populations, including multiple sclerosis (six studies), schizophrenia and bipolar mania (four studies), social anxiety disorder (two studies), neuropathic and cancer pain (two studies), cancer anorexia (one study), Huntington’s disease (one study), insomnia (one study), and epilepsy (one study).

Experimental studies indicate that a high-dose of inhaled/intravenous CBD is required to inhibit the effects of a lower dose of ∆9-THC. Moreover, some experimental and clinical studies suggest that oral/oromucosal CBD may prolong and/or intensify ∆9-THC-induced effects, whereas others suggest that it may inhibit ∆9-THC-induced effects.

Finally, preliminary clinical trials suggest that high-dose oral CBD  may exert a therapeutic effect for social anxiety disorder, insomnia and epilepsy, but also that it may cause mental sedation. Potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic explanations for these results are discussed.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24281562

The endocannabinoid system, cannabinoids, and pain.

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“The endocannabinoid system is involved in a host of homeostatic and physiologic functions, including modulation of pain and inflammation… Exogenous plant-based cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids) and chemically related compounds, like the terpenes, commonly found in many foods, have been found to exert significant analgesic effects in various chronic pain conditions.

Currently, the use of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol is limited by its psychoactive effects and predominant delivery route (smoking), as well as regulatory or legal constraints.

 However, other phytocannabinoids in combination, especially cannabidiol and β-caryophyllene, delivered by the oral route appear to be promising candidates for the treatment of chronic pain due to their high safety and low adverse effects profiles.

This review will provide the reader with the foundational basic and clinical science linking the endocannabinoid system and the phytocannabinoids with their potentially therapeutic role in the management of chronic pain.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24228165

Cannabidiol, a Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoid Compound, Inhibits Proliferation and Invasion in U87-MG and T98G Glioma Cells through a Multitarget Effect.

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“…the non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound cannabidiol (CBD) effectively limits human glioma cell growth, both in vitro and in vivo… the present investigation confirms the antiproliferative and antiinvasive effects of CBD in U87-MG cells.

 More interestingly, these effects can also be extended to T98G glioma cells, a well known Δ9-THC-resistant lineage…

Taken together, these results provide new insights into the antitumor action of CBD, showing that this cannabinoid affects multiple tumoral features and molecular pathways.

 As CBD is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid that appears to be devoid of side effects, our results support its exploitation as an effective anti-cancer drug in the management of gliomas.”

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24204703

Full-text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3804588/

Drugs group’s high hopes for epilepsy trials

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“A cannabis-based medicine could help the world’s 50 million epileptics control their seizures after a British drugmaker today began putting a potential treatment through human clinical trials.

GW Pharmaceuticals, which already uses cannabis to make Sativex for MS sufferers, has spent five years carrying out pre-clinical research on whether a cannabis-derived compound could treat epileptics’ seizures, with fewer side effects than current drugs. 

About a third of epileptics take no medication, either because existing treatments don’t control their seizures or because they can’t tolerate the side effects.

But positive results from GW’s research mean it is putting its potential new drug, dubbed GWP42006, through Phase 1 human trials. The drugmaker grows genetically-cloned marijuana plants for the medicine in secret locations in England.

The trials announcement is “a significant milestone in the development of this novel product candidate,” said Stephen Wright, GW’s director of research.”

http://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/drugs-groups-high-hopes-for-epilepsy-trials-8824297.html

 

FDA approves marijuana based drug

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“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved clinical trials of a cannabis-based drug and its effects on epilepsy. The treatment, Epidiolex, is 98 percent purified cannabidiol (CBD) made by GW Pharmaceuticals based out of the U.K.  

There are around 60 known chemicals contained in cannabis called cannabinoids. Tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, is the main component responsible for the drug’s psychoactive nature. CBD, however, is the second most abundant cannabinoid in the cannabis and provides medicinal benefits without the “high.” Epidiolex will come in a viscous liquid form to be dispensed from syringes. A 25 milligram per meter or 100 milligram per meter will be the two strengths made available to those in the trials.

The FDA has approved of intermediate-sized clinical trials sponsored by two doctors. Dr. Orrin Devinsky, a professor in the Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Psychiatry in the New York University School of Medicine and director of the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, and Dr. Roberta Cilio, a pediatric neurologist at the University of California, San Francisco, are set to follow 25 patients using Epidiolex as treatment for pediatric epilepsy.

On Oct. 4, at the NYU Langone Medical Center, Devinsky led a conference entitled, “Cannabidiols: Potential Use in Epilepsy & Other Neurological Disorders.” During the affair, Devinsky and Cilio led a presentation on planned trials on CBD in children with treatment resistant epilepsy. 

The D.C. – based Marijuana Policy Project’s Communications Director Mason Tvert responded to the news of the approved trials. “We’ve long known that marijuana has a variety of medical benefits,” Tvert said. Tvert added that the federal government clearly recognizes marijuana’s medicinal benefits and it’s a shame they hindered most research of it.

Maryland’s new marijuana law came into effect on Oct. 1, but its miniscule scope won’t have much effect. It deals with a small number of patients that would enroll in state-approved clinical studies. However, with no hospitals signed up to hold these studies, no visible changes are set to occur in the near future.

Now the country will wait and see if CBD can live up to the hype, and if the epileptic patients can find any relief from their disease.”

 By Bonnie Katz

http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/news/FDA-approves-marijuana-drug10-31-2013

“Cannabis-Based Epilepsy Drug Approved For Clinical Trials” http://www.medicaljane.com/2013/10/23/cannabis-based-epilepsy-drug-approved-for-clinical-trials/

Around The World, Researchers Begin Clinical Trials of Cannabis For Epilepsy

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Many patients in the U.S. have turned to tinctures and oil extracts to help control their seizures (Photo: Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 
 

“While a large body of anecdotal and laboratory evidence points to cannabis as an effective treatment for epilepsy, research in humans is just beginning to catch up.

 GW Pharmaceuticals – the UK-based company behind the natural cannabis spray Sativex – announced the start of the first round of clinical trials of a new cannabis treatment for epilepsy.

In the press release, Dr. Stephen Wright, Director of Research and Development at GW, said the company has spent years testing cannabis in pre-clinical models – which include cell cultures and animals.

So far, the drug is only known as GWP42006.

“We are pleased to have advanced GWP42006 to first dose in man, a significant milestone in the development of this novel product candidate. The decision to progress into Phase 1 follows several years of highly promising pre-clinical research.”

Dr. Ben Whalley, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology at the Reading School of Pharmacy, added, “Our research collaboration with GW over the last several years has shown that GWP42006 not only exerts significant anticonvulsant effects in a wide range of preclinical models of seizure and epilepsy but is also better tolerated compared to existing anti-epileptic drugs.”

While the company has not disclosed the ingredients in the new drug, their latest animal study – which appears in the October issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology – showed positive results with two chemicals derived from cannabis: Cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidivarin (CBDV).

Both were found to suppress seizures and increase survival across a range of different rat models of epilepsy.”

More: http://www.leafscience.com/2013/09/20/around-world-researchers-begin-clinical-trials-cannabis-epilepsy/

Both CBD and CBDV are produced naturally by cannabis. Unlike THC, these two compounds do not get patients high.

“Both CBD and CBDV are produced naturally by cannabis. Unlike THC, these two compounds do not get patients high.”

Comes Now Epidiolex™ (FDA approves IND studies of CBD)

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NYU Conference

“In response to urgent need expressed by parents of children with intractable epilepsy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowing Investigational New Drug studies of purified CBD (cannabidiol) as an anti-seizure medication. The “new drug” is being provided to physician-investigators by GW Pharmaceuticals, which has named its CBD product “Epidiolex™.”

More: http://www.beyondthc.com/comes-now-epidiolex-fda-approves-ind-studies-of-cbd/

Cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound, affects metalloproteinases and pro-survival intracellular pathways in u87-mg human glioma cell line

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“Malignant gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors… Recently, we have shown that the non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound cannabidiol (CBD) induced apoptosis of human glioma cells in vitro and tumor regression in vivo…the present study was to investigate the anti-migratory action of CBD…

 In conclusion, the present investigation adds further insights into the antitumoral action of the non-psychoactive CBD, showing multiple mechanisms through which the cannabinoid inhibits glioma cell growth and motility.

As CBD is a natural compound without psychotropic and side effects, these data lead us to consider CBD as a new potential anticancer drug useful in the management of gliomas.”

http://air.unimi.it/handle/2434/142533

Parkinson’s Symptoms Reduced by Smoking Cannabis – Parkinson Research Foundation

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 “Ruth Djaldetti, M.D., of Tel Aviv University in Israel, presented the findings of her research at a recent International Congress on Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders.  She reported improvement in tremor, pain, rigidity and bradykinesia (slowness of movement).  Twenty subjects, all in their mid-sixties, and were rated using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) both before and after smoking.  Their overall “before” scores were over 30 and within 30 minutes of smoking, their scores dropped to 24..  Their tremor scores averaged 7.5 on the UPDRS before and dropped to a score of 3.5 after smoking cannabis.  Bradykinesia scores dropped from 13.2 to 8.6 and rigidity went from 7.4 to 6.4.  Dr. Djaldetti also saw a marked relief in the pain her subjects were experiencing and this relief of pain led to better sleep and feeling more rested.

This bears out the results of other studies.  A study done in Great Britain that was published in 2011 found the principal ingredient in cannabis provided neuroprotection for people with Parkinson’s disease.  Its neuroprotective properties included reduction of inflammation and control of spasms, making it an ideal drug for treating Parkinson’s.  However, its confusing legal status make it very difficult for people to obtain or consider using and for doctors to even recommend to patients.

Another interesting study done in 2010 found that cannabinoid receptors are located in many parts of the brain and that cannabinoids are produced naturally in the brain.  People with Parkinson’s have even higher levels of endocannabinoids (cannabinoids produced within the brain).  The main ingredient in cannabis, Tetrahydrcannibol (THC) actually increases dopamine production temporarily.  Cannabidiol (CBD) another component of cannabis, also provides neuroprotective properties and has been shown to reduce dystonias .  CDB could be a very vital improvement for treating Parkinson’s, and a recent study has shown it useful in treating certain cancers as well.

While there have been many, many people reporting the anecdotal benefits of smoking cannabis, clinical trials are lagging behind.  Laboratory and animal studies have shown many benefits, but perplexing issues around the legality of cannabis are slowing the efforts and impeding progress.”

http://parkinsonresearchfoundation.org/blog/2013/07/11/parkinsons-symptoms-reduced-by-smoking-cannabis/

Cannabidiol (CBD) Shown To Kill Breast Cancer Cells

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 “Cannabidiol (CBD) has been on the receiving end of a lot of attention from the scientific community for several decades now. However, it is only now that we are really starting to begin to get a grasp on how wonderful this cannabinoid truly is.

 

A study from 2011 states that cannabidiol is considered an antineoplastic agent on the basis of its in vitro and in vivo activity against tumor cells. However, the exact molecular mechanism through which CBD works in this capacity is yet to be understood. The study, titled “Cannabidiol Induces Programmed Cell Death in Breast Cancer Cells by Coordinating the Cross-talk between Apoptosis and Autophagy,” focuses on how CBD can kill breast cancer cells. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women in the United States.

What the scientists found was that CBD influences apoptosis by interacting with a key protein, called beclin-1, found within the cancerous cell. Beclin-1 is also known to play a key role in autophagy, or cellular self-degradation of non-vital components, which may lead to programmed cell death. This causes a distortion of the electrical signals between the outer mitochondrial membrane and the rest of the cell, disrupting the transfer to the cell interior of certain molecules that are necessary for metabolism. What this means is that the cell cannot transfer energy, and the cell starves to death, and in doing so activates the self-destruction process of apoptosis.

The study concludes by stating, “In summary, we showed that CBD, a plant-derived cannabinoid, preferentially kills breast cancer cells by inducing ER stress, inhibiting mTOR signaling, enhancing ROS generation, and mediating a complex balance between autophagy and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. These findings support the continued exploration of CBD as an alternative agent for breast cancer treatment.””

http://cbdgum.networkofhemp.com/cannabidiol-cbd-shown-to-kill-breast-cancer-cells/

“Cannabidiol Induces Programmed Cell Death in Breast Cancer Cells by Coordinating the Cross-talk between Apoptosis and Autophagy… In summary, we showed that CBD, a plant-derived cannabinoid, preferentially kills breast cancer cells…” http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/10/7/1161.full