“The palliative effects of cannabis sativa (marijuana), which include appetite stimulation, attenuation of nausea and emesis, and pain relief, are well known. The active components of cannabis sativa (cannabinoids) and their derivatives have received growing interest due to their diverse pharmacological activities, such as cell growth inhibition and tumour regression. The aim of this review is to look at the current evidence on the antiproliferative effects of cannabinoids in urological malignancies, including renal, prostate, bladder, and testicular cancers.
Category Archives: Cancer
Compound found in cannabis helps 'shrink' four-year-old's brain tumour
“The family of a four-year-old boy from Nottinghamshire are backing new research into whether a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis can reduce paediatric brain cancer cells. Experts from Nottingham’s Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre, at The University of Nottingham, will test Cannabidiol (CBD) for its effects on paediatric brain tumours in youngsters. This research will form part of the pre-clinical phase of the evaluation of the potential use of cannabidiol in paediatric brain tumours” http://www.nottinghampost.com/compound-found-in-cannabis-helps-shrink-four-year-old-s-brain-tumour/story-30307458-detail/story.html
“Scientists plan study after Nottinghamshire boy’s tumour shrinks during cannabis compound treatment” https://nottstv.com/notts-scientists-treating-brain-tumours-with-cannabis-backed-by-four-year-old-boy-with-the-condition/
“Study looks at cannabis ingredient’s ability to help children’s tumours. UK research into cannabidiol (CBD) comes after surge in parents administering it to children without medical advice” https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/02/study-cannabis-cannabidiol-cbd-ability-to-help-children-brain-tumours
“Little boy’s aggressive brain tumour shrinks thanks to CANNABIS compound, his parents claim” https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/3472080/little-boys-aggressive-brain-tumour-shrinks-thanks-to-cannabis-his-parents-claimed/
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“Little boy battling golf ball-sized brain tumour given new lease of life after being given a special OIL” http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/little-boy-battling-golf-ball-10347423
“Four-year-old brain cancer patient sees tumour shrink – thanks to cannabis oil” http://metro.co.uk/2017/05/03/four-year-old-brain-cancer-patient-sees-tumour-shrink-thanks-to-cannabis-oil-6613034/
Compound found in cannabis helps ‘shrink’ four-year-old’s brain tumour
“The family of a four-year-old boy from Nottinghamshire are backing new research into whether a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis can reduce paediatric brain cancer cells.
Experts from Nottingham’s Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre, at The University of Nottingham, will test Cannabidiol (CBD) for its effects on paediatric brain tumours in youngsters. This research will form part of the pre-clinical phase of the evaluation of the potential use of cannabidiol in paediatric brain tumours” http://www.nottinghampost.com/compound-found-in-cannabis-helps-shrink-four-year-old-s-brain-tumour/story-30307458-detail/story.html
“Scientists plan study after Nottinghamshire boy’s tumour shrinks during cannabis compound treatment” https://nottstv.com/notts-scientists-treating-brain-tumours-with-cannabis-backed-by-four-year-old-boy-with-the-condition/
“Study looks at cannabis ingredient’s ability to help children’s tumours. UK research into cannabidiol (CBD) comes after surge in parents administering it to children without medical advice” https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/02/study-cannabis-cannabidiol-cbd-ability-to-help-children-brain-tumours
“Little boy’s aggressive brain tumour shrinks thanks to CANNABIS compound, his parents claim” https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/3472080/little-boys-aggressive-brain-tumour-shrinks-thanks-to-cannabis-his-parents-claimed/
“Little boy battling golf ball-sized brain tumour given new lease of life after being given a special OIL” http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/little-boy-battling-golf-ball-10347423
“Four-year-old brain cancer patient sees tumour shrink – thanks to cannabis oil” http://metro.co.uk/2017/05/03/four-year-old-brain-cancer-patient-sees-tumour-shrink-thanks-to-cannabis-oil-6613034/
Synthesis and antitumor activity of cannabigerol
“Cannabigerol was synthesized and evaluated for its inhibitory activity against mouse skin melanoma cells. Cannabigerol displayed significant antitumor activity.” https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02976895]]>
The Role of Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Cancer in Pediatric Patients.
“Cannabis has been used in folk medicine to alleviate pain, depression, amenorrhea, inflammation and numerous other medical conditions. In cancer patients specifically, cannabinoids are well known to exert palliative effects; their best-established use is the inhibition of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, but they are applied also to alleviate pain, stimulate appetite, and attenuate wasting. More recently, cannabinoids have gained special attention for their role in cancer cell proliferation and death. Anti-cancer efficacy of cannabinoids: The ability of cannabinoids to reduce tumor growth was reported for the first time by Munson et al. in 1975. They showed by in vitro and in vivo experiments that several phytocannabinoids, including THC, decreased Lewis lung adenocarcinoma proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Nevertheless, it was not until the 2000s that the interest in these compounds as anti-cancer agents was renewed, predominantly due to the work of Guzman in gliomas, and the demonstration of cannabinoids’ anti-cancer effects on various types of tumors. The anti-tumorigenic effect of the endo- and phytocannabinoids was demonstrated in several in vitro and in vivo models of a wide variety of adult tumors including glioma, prostate, breast, leukemia, lymphoma, pancreas, melanoma, thyroid, colorectal and hepatocellular carcinoma tumors. Given our positive results, we suggest that non-THC cannabinoids such as CBD might provide a basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies without the typical psychotropic effects of THC that limit its use in pediatric patients. Overall, the cannabinoids, and specifically the non-psychoactive CBD, may show future promise in the treatment of cancer” https://www.ima.org.il/FilesUpload/IMAJ/0/228/114216.pdf https://www.ima.org.il/imaj/ViewArticle.aspx?aId=4044 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28457057]]>
Cannabis Use in Palliative Oncology: A Review of the Evidence for Popular Indications.
“A flowering plant of variegated ingredients and psychoactive qualities, cannabis has long been used for medicinal and recreational purposes. Currently, cannabis is approved in several countries for indications of symptomatic alleviation. However, limited knowledge on the benefits and risks precludes inclusion of cannabis in standard treatment guidelines. This review provides a summary of the available literature on the use of cannabis and cannabinoid-based medicines in palliative oncology. Favorable outcomes are demonstrated for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and cancer-related pain, with evidence of advantageous neurological interactions. Benefit in the treatment of anorexia, insomnia and anxiety is also suggested. Short- and long-term side effects appear to be manageable and to subside after discontinuation of the drug. Finally, cannabinoids have shown anti-neoplastic effects in preclinical studies in a wide range of cancer cells and some animal models. Further research is needed before cannabis can become a part of evidence-based oncology practice.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28457056
Cannabinoids as Modulators of Cell Death: Clinical Applications and Future Directions.
“Endocannabinoids are bioactive lipids that modulate various physiological processes through G-protein-coupled receptors (CB1 and CB2) and other putative targets. By sharing the activation of the same receptors, some phytocannabinoids and a multitude of synthetic cannabinoids mimic the effects of endocannabinoids.
In recent years, a growing interest has been dedicated to the study of cannabinoids properties for their analgesic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. In addition to these well-recognized effects, various studies suggest that cannabinoids may affect cell survival, cell proliferation or cell death. These observations indicate that cannabinoids may play an important role in the regulation of cellular homeostasis and, thus, may contribute to tissue remodelling and cancer treatment.
For a long time, the study of cannabinoid receptor signalling has been focused on the classical adenylyl cyclase/cyclic AMP/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. However, this pathway does not totally explain the wide array of biological responses to cannabinoids. In addition, the diversity of receptors and signalling pathways that endocannabinoids modulate offers an interesting opportunity for the development of specific molecules to disturb selectively the endogenous system.
Moreover, emerging evidences suggest that cannabinoids ability to limit cell proliferation and to induce tumour-selective cell death may offer a novel strategy in cancer treatment.
This review describes the main properties of cannabinoids in cell death and attempts to clarify the different pathways triggered by these compounds that may help to understand the complexity of respective molecular mechanisms and explore the potential clinical benefit of cannabinoids use in cancer therapies.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28425013
