“Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component of marijuana, promotes cancer cell death via autophagy stimulation.
We find that activation of the tyrosine kinase receptor ALK by its ligand midkine interferes with the signaling mechanism by which THC promotes autophagy-mediated glioma cell death.”
“The active chemical in marijuana promotes the death of brain cancer cells by essentially helping them feed upon themselves, researchers in Spain report.
Guillermo Velasco and colleagues at Complutense University in Spain have found that the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, causes brain cancer cells to undergo a process called autophagy. Autophagy is the breakdown of a cell that occurs when the cell essentially self-digests.
The team discovered that cannabinoids such as THC had anticancer effects in mice with human brain cancer cells and people with brain tumors . When mice with the human brain cancer cells received the THC, the tumor growth shrank.
Two patients enrolled in a clinical trial received THC directly to the brain as an experimental treatment for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme , a highly aggressive brain tumor. Biopsies taken before and after treatment helped track their progress. After receiving the THC, there was evidence of increased autophagy activity.
The findings appear in the April 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The patients did not have any toxic effects from the treatment. Previous studies of THC for the treatment of cancer have also found the therapy to be well tolerated, according to background information in journal article.
Study authors say their findings could lead to new strategies for preventing tumor growth.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500368_162-4913095.html
“Whether and how synthetic cannabinoids affect inflammation and carcinogenesis has not been well studied. The present study was thus conducted to assess effects of synthetic cannabinoids on inflammation and carcinogenesis in vivo in mice…
The present results suggest that synthetic cannabinoids, such as JWH-018, -122 and -210, may be used as cancer chemopreventive agents in the future.”
“Potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and many other illnesses are being blocked by anti-drug laws, according to a new editorial review published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience.”
“…Scientists were therefore surprised to learn that a study of more than 2,000 people found no increase in the risk of developing lung cancer for marijuana smokers.
“We expected that we would find that a history of heavy marijuana use–more than 500 to 1,000 uses–would increase the risk of cancer from several years to decades after exposure to marijuana,” explains physician Donald Tashkin of the University of California, Los Angeles, and lead researcher on the project. But looking at residents of Los Angeles County, the scientists found that even those who smoked more than 20,000 joints in their life did not have an increased risk of lung cancer.
The study does not reveal how marijuana avoids causing cancer. Tashkin speculates that perhaps the THC chemical in marijuana smoke prompts aging cells to die before becoming cancerous. Tashkin and his colleagues presented the findings yesterday at a meeting of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego.”
More: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=large-study-finds-no-link
| “Donald Tashkin’s is a tale cannabis pushers like to repeat. The physician and professor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine set out to prove — via a study funded by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse — that marijuana is bad for you. Instead, a long-term study found no solid link between marijuana use and lung cancer, in sharp contrast to tobacco terrible effects on health.”
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| “Similar findings were repeated all over the world. In a collection and review of studies on marijuana’s effect on the lungs, published in the June issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, Tashkin concludes that compared to tobacco smoking, heavy marijuana use has “relatively small and far lower” risks.
This despite an average joint marijuana having four times the tar of a typical American Spirit. How can this be? It’s worth remembering that this is not a new development — Tashkin’s long-term study was published in 2006. And well before that — as in the 19th Century, when cannabis tinctures and other marijuana medicines were sold in pharmacies — doctors were prescribing marijuana as a treatment for asthma patients.” |
“Donald Tashkin‘s is a tale cannabis pushers like to repeat. The physician and professor at UCLA‘s David Geffen School of Medicine set out to prove — via a study funded by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse — that marijuana is bad for you. Instead, a long-term study found no solid link between marijuana use and lung cancer.
Similar findings were repeated all over the world. In a review of studies on marijuana’s effect on the lungs, published in the June issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, Tashkin concludes that compared to tobacco smoking, heavy marijuana use has “relatively small and far lower” risks.”
More: http://www.sfweekly.com/2013-06-19/news/ucla-medical-marijuana-cancer/full/
“Isn’t it strange that doctors can legally administer poison in the form of chemotherapy and radiation as well as numerous toxic pharmaceuticals and yet one of nature’s medicines- found to greatly assist cancer patients- which can be prepared by any common person without harmful side effects, is illegal and can send a person to prison for its possession?
There are numerous studies, now spanning the globe, revealing the miraculous healing properties of cannabis oil and its ability to cure cancers and other ailments without poisoning the body.
Cannabis oil, or Hemp oil contains many healing benefits including a high amount of protein as well as essential fatty acids, including the harder to come by GLA’s – known to reduce inflammation and slow the growth of cancer cells. As far as essential fatty acids go, we need a particular ratio of Omega 3, Omega 6 and GLA’s in our body for good health. Omega 3 comes largely from fish, Omega 6 can be found in many of our cooking oils such as olive and sunflower, but GLA is only found in a few sources such as borage oil, spirulina and hemp. Hemp oil happens to contain the perfect 2:5:1 ratio of omega 3, 6 and GLA’s. Interesting.
As far as cancer goes, the research proof has been out there for a while…
Cannabis oil has been shown to shrink and even cure cancers in all the studies conducted without poisoning the body. Isn’t it time to give the people a safe, legal alternative to such an ailment? Let us put aside our fears and greed and support nature in being our medicine, so she can further support us in healing.”
More: http://guardianlv.com/2013/06/cannabis-cures-cancer-without-poison/
“Cannabinoids show promise for the treatment of various medical conditions such as emesis, anorexia, pain, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and glaucoma.
The objective of the present work was to assess the feasibility of developing cannabinoid loaded poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) microparticles prepared by the oil-in-water emulsion-solvent evaporation technique as a suitable dosage form for their administration.
In vitro cell viability studies demonstrated the antitumoral activity of CBD released from microparticles. After 4 and 7 days of incubation, CBD in microspheres significantly inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells by 60% as compared to the 50% attained with free drug.
The results suggest that PCL microparticles could be an alternative delivery system for long-term cannabinoid administration, showing potential therapeutic advantages over free drug.”
“Cannabinoids present an interesting therapeutic potential as antiemetics, appetite stimulants in debilitating diseases (cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis), analgesics, and in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and cancer, among other conditions.
However, despite their high clinical potential, only few dosage forms are available to date. In this paper, the development of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) biodegradable microspheres as an alternative delivery system for cannabinoid parenteral administration is proposed. Tetrahydrocannabinol was encapsulated into biodegradable microspheres by the oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion solvent evaporation method. Several formulations were prepared using different drug:polymer ratios. The influence of antioxidant (α-tocopherol acetate) concentration on the release of THC from the microparticles was studied. Elevated process yield and entrapment efficiencies were achieved.The in vitro drug release studies showed that the encapsulated drug was released over a two week period.
As THC has shown therapeutic potential as anticancer drug, the efficacy of the microspheres was tested on different cancer cell lines.
Interestingly, the microspheres were able to inhibit cancer cell proliferation during the nine-day study period.
All the above results suggest that the use of biodegradable microspheres would be a suitable alternative delivery system for THC administration.”
