Category Archives: Cancer

Nuvilex Reports Cannabinoid-Based Pancreatic Cancer Treatments to be Developed by Its Subsidiary, Medical Marijuana Sciences, Inc.

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“Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX), international biotechnology and clinical stage provider of natural products and cell and gene therapy solutions for the treatment of diseases, announced today its subsidiary, Medical Marijuana Sciences, Inc., is planning to develop treatments for pancreatic cancer based on cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa.

In 2006, in a publication in the prestigious scientific journal Cancer Research, cannabinoids were reported to cause the death of pancreatic cells in laboratory and animal studies; these results were also seen with human pancreatic cancer cells implanted in mice whose immune systems were suppressed. Since then, laboratory studies have shown that when gemcitabine (Gemzar®), the only drug approved by the FDA as a single agent for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, was combined with three different cannabinoids (each used singly), the growth inhibition was more than additive for six different pancreatic cancer cell lines. When these studies were done with human pancreatic cancer cells in immunosuppressed mice, the antitumor effectiveness of gemcitabine was greatly enhanced. These results, combined with those from other studies not mentioned here, indicate the important potential for developing treatments for pancreatic cancer that include the use of cannabinoids.”

More: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/nuvilex-reports-cannabinoid-based-pancreatic-cancer-treatments-to-be-developed-by-its-subsidiary-medical-marijuana-sciences-inc-20130220-00761

Expression of the cannabinoid type I receptor and prognosis following surgery in colorectal cancer.

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“The cannabinoid system has been considered to be a potential target of colorectal carcinoma therapy. The aim of this study was to address the correlation between cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor expression and disease severity/outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).”

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 “…The high immunoreactivity of the cannabinoid type 1 receptor is a significant prognostic factor following surgery in stage IV CRC…

The effect of cannabinoids in colorectal cancer (CRC) has been demonstrated in in vitro experiments and animal models, which indicate the antiproliferative, apoptotic and antimetastatic actions of cannabinoid agonists…

Antineoplastic effects are mediated by the activation of cannabinoid type I (CB1), type 2 (CB2) or a non-cannabinoid receptor-mediated mechanism…”

Full text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3576207/

[Marihuana and cannabinoids as medicaments].

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“Biological activity of cannabinoids is caused by binding to two cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Psychoactive is not only tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) but also: cannabidiol, cannabigerol or cannabichromen. Formerly, the usefulness of hemp was assessed in the relation to temporary appeasement of the symptoms of some ailments as nausea or vomiting.

 Present discoveries indicates that cannabis-based drugs has shown ability to alleviate of autoimmunological disorders such as: Multiple sclerosis (MS), Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or inflammatory bowel disease. Another studies indicates that cannabinoids play role in treatment of neurological disorders like Alzheimer disease or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or even can reduce spreading of tumor cells.

 Cannabinoids stand out high safety profile considering acute toxicity, it is low possibility of deadly overdosing and side-effects are comprise in range of tolerated side-effects of other medications.

In some countries marinol and nabilone are used as anti vomiting and nausea drug. First cannabis-based drug containg naturally occurring cannabinoids is Sativex. Sativex is delivered in an mucosal spray for patients suffering from spasticity in MS, pain relevant with cancer and neuropathic pain of various origin. Despite the relatively low acute toxicity of cannabinoids they should be avoid in patients with psychotic disorders, pregnant or breastfeeding woman. Cannabinoids prolong a time of reaction and decrease power of concentration that’s why driving any vehicles is forbidden.

 Cannabis side-effects varies and depend from several factors like administrated dose, rout of administration and present state of mind. After sudden break from long-lasting use, withdrawal symptoms can appear, although they entirely disappear after a week or two.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23421098

Medical cannabis relieves sufferers of chronic ailments

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“Treatment can improve appetite, ease chronic pain, and more, say TAU researchers. Though controversial, medical cannabis has been gaining ground as a valid therapy, offering relief to suffers of diseases such as cancer, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, ALS and more. The substance is known to soothe severe pain, increase the appetite, and ease insomnia where other common medications fail.”

More: http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/news/medical-cannabis-relieves-sufferers-of-chronic-ailments/18330

Role of cannabinoid and vanilloid receptors in invasion of human breast carcinoma cells.

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“It is known that the diversified effects of cannabinoid on the fate of carcinoma cells are mediated predominantly through receptors. However, little is known about the effects of the individual activities of cannabinoid and noncannabinoid receptors. Here we investigate the role of cannabinoid receptor (CB) 1, CB2, and transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 in cell proliferation and invasion patterns in the MDA-MB-231 cell line.

Our results showed that activation of CB1 and vanilloid receptors by methanandamide, a nonselective agonist, and arachidonyl-2′-choloroethylamide (ACEA) and N-oleoyldopamine, selective agonists, reduced invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells at pharmacological concentrations. Accordingly, CB1 activation resulted in decreased expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2. On the other hand, administration of a CB2 agonist (CB65) increased cell invasion and expression of MMP2. The data obtained from MTT assay did not show any correlation between reduced invasion and cytotoxic effects of drugs. In addition, the level of vascular endothelial growth factor was significantly reduced in treatment with (R)-(+)-methanandamide, ACEA, CB65, and AM251 (a potent agonist for GPR55 and selective antagonist of CB1) compared with control. Elevated expression of cyclooxygenase-2 was observed in all of the MDA-MB-231 cells treated with agonists.

These results underline the influence of cannabinoid and vanilloid receptors on the invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cells.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23394450

The pharmacologic and clinical effects of medical cannabis.

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“Cannabis, or marijuana, has been used for medicinal purposes for many years. Several types of cannabinoid medicines are available in the United States and Canada. Dronabinol (schedule III), nabilone (schedule II), and nabiximols (not U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved) are cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals.

Medical cannabis or medical marijuana, a leafy plant cultivated for the production of its leaves and flowering tops, is a schedule I drug, but patients obtain it through cannabis dispensaries and statewide programs. The effect that cannabinoid compounds have on the cannabinoid receptors (CB(1) and CB(2) ) found in the brain can create varying pharmacologic responses based on formulation and patient characteristics. The cannabinoid Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol has been determined to have the primary psychoactive effects; the effects of several other key cannabinoid compounds have yet to be fully elucidated. Dronabinol and nabilone are indicated for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy and of anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. However, pain and muscle spasms are the most common reasons that medical cannabis is being recommended.

Studies of medical cannabis show significant improvement in various types of pain and muscle spasticity. Reported adverse effects are typically not serious, with the most common being dizziness. Safety concerns regarding cannabis include the increased risk of developing schizophrenia with adolescent use, impairments in memory and cognition, accidental pediatric ingestions, and lack of safety packaging for medical cannabis formulations. This article will describe the pharmacology of cannabis, effects of various dosage formulations, therapeutics benefits and risks of cannabis for pain and muscle spasm, and safety concerns of medical cannabis use.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23386598

Medical Cannabis Provides Dramatic Relief for Sufferers of Chronic Ailments, Israeli Study Finds

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“Though controversial, medical cannabis has been gaining ground as a valid therapy, offering relief to suffers of diseases such as cancer, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, ALS and more. The substance is known to soothe severe pain, increase the appetite, and ease insomnia where other common medications fail.”

 

“Overall, Klein believes that the healing powers of cannabis are close to miraculous, and has long supported an overhaul in governmental policy…”

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130124123453.htm

Skin Cancer Patient Says Oil From Medical Marijuana Is A Cure

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“A Ferndale man claims he’s found a cure for his cancer and it’s now legal in Michigan.”

%name Skin Cancer Patient Says Oil From Medical Marijuana Is A Cure.

“WWJ’s Sandra McNeill spoke with Michael McShane who claims he’s been using a topical oil made from medical marijuana on the skin cancer on his forehead and in just over two months it’s nearly gone.

“I’ve got biopsies, chart notes, photographs … in about three weeks I’m going to go back  and really wrap this part of the case up,” said McShane. “It’s made the same way a lot of the fragrances and perfumes are made, and the oil is applied, in my case, directly to the skin, and within 10 weeks my cancer is gone.

“From a topical standpoint I don’t experience any euphoria,” said McShane.

McShane freely admits that he has smoked marijuana since he was in his teens, “It went from a party to a cure for cancer,” he said.”

Read more: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/08/29/skin-cancer-patient-says-oil-from-medical-marijuana-is-a-cure/

Cannabinoid receptors as novel targets for the treatment of melanoma

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“Melanoma causes the greatest number of skin cancer-related deaths worldwide. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of cannabinoid receptor agonists, a new family of potential antitumoral compounds, at skin melanoma. Human melanomas and melanoma cell lines express CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. Activation of these receptors decreased growth, proliferation, angiogenesis and metastasis, and increased apoptosis, of melanomas in mice. Cannabinoid antimelanoma activity was independent of the immune status of the animal, could be achieved without overt psychoactive effects and was selective for melanoma cells vs. normal melanocytes.

Cannabinoid antiproliferative action on melanoma cells…

 These findings may contribute to the design of new chemotherapeutic strategies for the management of melanoma.

 …the present report, together with the implication of CB2 receptors in the control of processes such as pain initiation, emesis, and inflammation, opens the attractive possibility of finding cannabinoid-based therapeutic strategies devoid of nondesired psychotropic side effects.

Specifically, the antiproliferative effect of cannabinoids reported here may set the basis for a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of malignant melanoma.”

Full text: http://www.fasebj.org/content/20/14/2633.long

Inhibition of skin tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo by activation of cannabinoid receptors

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“Cannabinoids inhibit skin tumor growth in vivo. Here we show that the CB1 and the CB2 receptor are expressed in normal skin and skin tumors of mice and humans. In cell culture experiments pharmacological activation of cannabinoid receptors induced the apoptotic death of tumorigenic epidermal cells, whereas the viability of nontransformed epidermal cells remained unaffected. Local administration of the mixed CB1/CB2 agonist WIN-55,212-2 or the selective CB2 agonist JWH-133 induced a considerable growth inhibition of malignant tumors generated by inoculation of epidermal tumor cells into nude mice. Cannabinoid-treated tumors showed an increased number of apoptotic cells.

 

Cannabinoids, the active components of Cannabis sativa linnaeus (marijuana)…

Marijuana and its derivatives have been used in medicine for many centuries, and currently there is a renaissance in the study of the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids… cannabinoids may be potential antitumoral agents owing to their ability to induce the regression of various types of tumors, including lung adenocarcinoma, glioma, and thyroid epithelioma in animal models.

This background prompted us to explore whether (a) the skin and skin tumors express cannabinoid receptors; (b) cannabinoid receptor activation exerts a growth-inhibiting action on skin tumors in vivo; and (c) inhibition of angiogenesis is implicated in the anti-tumoral effect of cannabinoids.

Our data show that (a) CB1 and CB2 receptors are present in the skin and skin tumors; (b) local cannabinoid receptor activation induces the regression of skin tumors in vivo; and (c) at least two mechanisms may be involved in this action: direct apoptosis of tumor cells and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis.

These results support a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of skin tumors.”

Full text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC151833/