“THC, the key compound in marijuana, blocks the formation of brain-clogging plaques better than current Alzheimer’s drugs do. Medications like Aricept and Cognex work in much the same way as THC–by inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase–Researchers… point out that the compound THC… would likely be the key to developing new Alzheimer’s medications.”
Category Archives: News Stories
Marijuana linked to preventing and treating Alzheimer’s disease
“Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia among the elderly, and with the ever-increasing size of this population, cases of Alzheimer’s disease are expected to triple over the next 50 years. Consequently, the development of treatments that slow or halt the disease progression have become imperative to both improve the quality of life for patients as well as reduce the health care costs attributable to Alzheimer’s disease.
Here, we demonstrate that the active component of marijuana, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), competitively inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as well as prevents AChE-induced amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) aggregation, the key pathological marker of Alzheimer’s disease. Computational modeling of the THC-AChE interaction revealed that THC binds in the peripheral anionic site of AChE, the critical region involved in amyloidgenesis.
Compared to currently approved drugs prescribed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, THC is a considerably superior inhibitor of Aβaggregation, and this study provides a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism through which cannabinoid molecules may directly impact the progression of this debilitating disease.”
http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news/health/2011/11/26/1936.html
Cannabis May Offer Alzheimer’s Hope, Study Says
“Marijuana compounds offer an alternative approach for treating the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD)…
Investigators at the Trinity College, Institute for Neuroscience, in Dublin report that cannabinoids have been shown to protect neurons from the deleterious effects of amyloid plaque – the primary pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s. Cannabinoids also demonstrate a propensity to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, while also promoting neurogenesis (the birth of new neuronal cells), authors report.
Authors write: “In recent years the proclivity of cannabinoids to exert a neuroprotective influence has received substantial interest as a means to mitigate the symptoms of neurodegenerative conditions. … [C]annabinoids offer a multi-faceted approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease by providing neuroprotection and reducing neuroinflammation, whilst simultaneously supporting the brain’s intrinsic repair mechanisms by augmenting neurotrophin expression and enhancing neurogenesis. … Manipulation of the cannabinoid pathway offers a pharmacological approach for the treatment of AD that may be efficacious than current treatment regimens.”
Preclinical studies have demonstrated that cannabinoids can delay disease progression in animal models of several neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease).”-
Paul Armentano, NORML http://norml.org/news/2007/09/20/cannabis-may-offer-alzheimers-hope-study-says
Full text of the study, “Alzheimer’s disease; taking the edge off with cannabinoids?” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2190031/
Scientists claim cannabis can offer hope for Alzheimer’s sufferers
“New cannabis-based treatments could improve memory loss in Alzheimer’s sufferers, scientists claim.
One of the 400 compounds in the drug can significantly slow memory problems caused by the disease, tests show.”
Cannabis and Alzheimer’s disease
“‘Clearly in the test tube cannabinoids have the ability to block at least one of the probable causal mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease and so become a potential treatment or preventative agent that needs to be tested in humans.”
Dr Richard Harvey, research director of the Alzheimer’s Society
Read more: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/news_article.php?newsID=123
Cannabis May Cut Alzheimer’s Risk – Discovery News
“For those who have inhaled, there may be some good news: Marijuana use may cut the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by reducing inflammation in the brain…
The findings may explain studies showing those who regularly used marijuana in the 1960s and 1970s are now less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than their non-smoking contemporaries.
Under a National Institutes of Health grant, researchers used a synthetic drug similar to marijuana to treat rats with brain inflammation typically associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia that afflicts 4.5 million people in the United States alone.”
Read more: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/10/19/marijuana_hea.html
Marijuana Ingredient May Help Alzheimer’s – WebMD
“Chemical Counters Brain Problems in Alzheimer’s Disease, Says Spanish Study.
New clues about Alzheimer’s disease have emerged from a Spanish study of marijuana. The drug’s active ingredients — cannabinoids — help prevent brain problems seen in Alzheimer’s, say the scientists.
The findings showed that “cannabinoids work both to prevent inflammation and to protect the brain,” says researcher Maria de Ceballos in a news release. That “may set the stage for [cannabinoids’] use as a therapeutic approach for [Alzheimer’s disease].”
The cannabinoids completely prevented activation of cells that trigger inflammation. These cells gather near plaque and are believed to be involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our results indicate that cannabinoid receptors are important in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease and that cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease,” write the researchers in the journal.”
Read more: http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20050223/marijuana-ingredient-may-help-alzheimers
Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer’s – WebMD
“Key Marijuana Compound Beats Current Alzheimer’s Drugs in Test-Tube Study.
THC, the key compound in marijuana, may also be the key to new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease.”While we are certainly not advocating the use of illegal drugs, these findings offer convincing evidence that THC possesses remarkable inhibitory qualities, especially when compared to [Alzheimer’s drugs] currently available to patients,” Janda says in a news release.
“Although our study is far from final, it does show that there is a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism through which THC may directly affect the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”
“THC and its analogs may provide an improved [treatment for] both the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” the researchers conclude”
Read more: http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20061006/marijuana-may-slow-alzheimers
Marijuana may help stave off Alzheimer’s – NBCNews
“Active ingredient in pot may help preserve brain function.
Good news for aging hippies: smoking pot may stave off Alzheimer’s disease.
New research shows that the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the formation of deposits in the brain associated with the degenerative disease.
Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California found that marijuana’s active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can prevent an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase from accelerating the formation of “Alzheimer plaques” in the brain more effectively than commercially marketed drugs.
THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer’s patients, the researchers reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.
The researchers said their discovery could lead to more effective drug treatment for Alzheimer’s, the leading cause of dementia among the elderly.
Those afflicted with Alzheimer’s suffer from memory loss, impaired decision-making, and diminished language and movement skills. The ultimate cause of the disease is unknown, though it is believed to be hereditary.
Marijuana is used to relieve glaucoma and can help reduce side effects from cancer and AIDS treatment.”
Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer’s – CBSNews
“THC, the key compound in marijuana, may also be the key to new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease. That’s because the marijuana compound blocks the formation of brain-clogging Alzheimer’s plaques better than current Alzheimer’s drugs….
these findings offer convincing evidence that THC possesses remarkable inhibitory qualities, especially when compared to [Alzheimer’s drugs] currently available to patients,” Janda says in a news release.
“Although our study is far from final, it does show that there is a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism through which THC may directly affect the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Janda’s team found that THC blocks an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which speeds the formation of amyloid plaque in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Alzheimer’s drugs Aricept and Cognex work by blocking acetylcholinesterase. When tested at double the concentration of THC, Aricept blocked plaque formation only 22 percent as well as THC, and Cognex blocked plaque formation only 7 percent as well as THC.
“THC and its analogs may provide an improved [treatment for] both the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” the researchers conclude.”
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500368_162-2072101.html