Can Hemp Help? Low-THC Cannabis and Non-THC Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Cancer.

cancers-logo“Cannabis has been used to relieve the symptoms of disease for thousands of years. However, social and political biases have limited effective interrogation of the potential benefits of cannabis and polarised public opinion.

Evidence is emerging for the therapeutic benefits of cannabis in the treatment of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, with potential efficacy as an analgesic and antiemetic for the management of cancer-related pain and treatment-related nausea and vomiting, respectively.

An increasing number of preclinical studies have established that ∆9-THC can inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancerous cells through the modulation of cannabinoid receptors (CB1R and CB2R), but clinical confirmation remains lacking.

In parallel, the anti-cancer properties of non-THC cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), are linked to the modulation of non-CB1R/CB2R G-protein-coupled receptors, neurotransmitter receptors, and ligand-regulated transcription factors, which together modulate oncogenic signalling and redox homeostasis.

Additional evidence has also demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabinoids, and this may prove relevant in the context of peritumoural oedema and the tumour immune microenvironment. This review aims to document the emerging mechanisms of anti-cancer actions of non-THC cannabinoids.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32340151

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/4/1033

Novel approaches and current challenges with targeting the endocannabinoid system.

 Publication Cover“The pathophysiological relevance of the endocannabinoid system has been widely demonstrated in a variety of diseases including cancer, neurological disorders, and metabolic issues. Therefore, targeting the receptors and the endogenous machinery involved in this system can provide a successful therapeutic outcome.

Ligands targeting the canonical cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, along with inhibitors of the endocannabinoid enzymes have been thoroughly studied in diverse disease models. In fact, phytocannabinoids such as cannabidiol or Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol are currently on the market for the management of neuropathic pain due to spasticity in multiple sclerosis or seizures in children epilepsy amongst others.

Expert opinion: Even if orthosteric CB1 and CB2 ligands are on the forefront in cannabinoid clinical research, emerging strategies such as allosteric or biased modulation of these receptors along with controlled off-targets effects may increase the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32336154

“Multi-target approaches could be promising strategies for the treatment of endocannabinoid system-related disorders. The authors believe that phytocannabinoids are at the forefront of future clinical research.”

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17460441.2020.1752178?journalCode=iedc20

Effects of THC/CBD oromucosal spray on spasticity-related symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis: results from a retrospective multicenter study.

 Journal cover“The approval of 9-δ-tetrahydocannabinol (THC)+cannabidiol (CBD) oromucosal spray (Sativex®) in Italy as an add-on medication for the management of moderate to severe spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) has provided a new opportunity for MS patients with drug-resistant spasticity.

We aimed to investigate the improvement of MS spasticity-related symptoms in a large cohort of patients with moderate to severe spasticity in daily clinical practice.

CONCLUSION:

Our study confirmed that the therapeutic benefit of cannabinoids may extend beyond spasticity, improving spasticity-related symptoms even in non-NRS responder patients.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32335779

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10072-020-04413-6

Antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of Cannabis sativa L. seeds extract against Staphylococcus aureus and growth effects on probiotic Lactobacillus spp.

LWT“The growing concern on the antibiotic resistance spreading among bacteria has stimulated the search for valuable alternatives from plant sources.

This study dealt with the potential use of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds extract to inhibit the growth of selected pathogenic enterobacteria and the biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus, representing severe risks of food-borne illnesses. Effects on probiotic bacteria were also examined. A double-staining viability/mortality assay was used to examine potential S. aureus membrane damage.

Our results highlighted a selective antimicrobial activity of C. sativa extract against pathogenic strains and no inhibitory effects on the growth of probiotic strains belonging to the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus genera. This selective inhibition is of outmost importance for the maintenance of healthy gut microbiota.

The double-staining assay showed that the C. sativa extract was capable of inhibiting the biofilm producer S. aureus ATCC 35556 strain; this antibacterial action was only partially linked to membrane damage. Biofilm formation was inhibited as well; inhibition occurs at lower concentration with respect to planktonic cells (0.5 mg/ml vs 1 mg/ml, respectively).

Therefore, hemp seeds extracts represent a new exploitable and valuable antimicrobial and antibiofilm agent for the food and nutraceutical industry as a possible alternative to antibiotics/antibacterial compounds.

Cannabis sativa L. seeds showed antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity.

C. sativa L. seeds selectively inhibit the growth of potentially pathogenic strains.

C. sativa L. seeds did not exert antimicrobial activity against probiotic bacteria.

C. sativa L. seeds inhibit the biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643820301377

Image 1

“Antimicrobial Activity of Cannabis sativa L.”  https://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=18123

“Antimicrobial studies of the leaf of cannabis sativa L.”  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16414764

Cannabis and Canabidinoids on the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Going Beyond Misuse.

ijms-logo“Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are characterized by a chronic and recurrent gastrointestinal condition, including mainly ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Cannabis sativa (CS) is widely used for medicinal, recreational, and religious purposes. The most studied compound of CS is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Besides many relevant therapeutic roles such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, there is still much controversy about the consumption of this plant since the misuse can lead to serious health problems. Because of these reasons, the aim of this review is to investigate the effects of CS on the treatment of UC and CD. The literature search was performed in PubMed/Medline, PMC, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. The use of CS leads to the improvement of UC and CD scores and quality of life. The medical use of CS is on the rise. Although the literature shows relevant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that could improve UC and CD scores, it is still not possible to establish a treatment criterion since the studies have no standardization regarding the variety and part of the plant that is used, route of administration and doses. Therefore, we suggest caution in the use of CS in the therapeutic approach of IBD until clinical trials with standardization and a relevant number of patients are performed.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32331305

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/8/2940

Characterization of bioactive compounds in defatted hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.) by UHPLC-HRMS/MS and anti-inflammatory activity in primary human monocytes.

 “Hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.) has beneficial impact on human health mainly because of its wide variability of bioactive compounds. However, many of them are not fully characterized yet. In this work, hempseed was defatted and through a bio-guided studied, two fractions (F03 and F05) with the highest content of phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity were selected. Fractions were chemically analyzed by UHPLC HRMS/MS. The anti-inflammatory capacities of these compounds were evaluated on human monocytes using flow cytometry, RT-qPCR and Elisa procedures. A high amount of phenolic compounds were identified, with the major compound being: N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (6.36 mg g-1 in F05 and 1.28 mg g-1 in F03). Both, F03 and F05 significantly reduced the inflammatory competence of LPS-treated human primary monocytes, decreasing TNF-α and IL-6 gene expression and secretion. These findings indicate that in the defatted fraction of the hempseed there are a wide number of compounds with beneficial potential to prevent and treat inflammatory disorders, as well as other processes caused by oxidative stress.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32329481

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/FO/D0FO00066C#!divAbstract

Simultaneous determination of terpenes and cannabidiol in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) by fast Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection.

Journal of Separation Science“Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has become widely used in several sectors due to the presence of various bioactive compounds such as terpenes and cannabidiol. In general, terpenes and cannabidiol content is determined separately which is time-consuming. Thus, a fast Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection method was validated for simultaneous determination of both terpenes and cannabidiol in hemp. The method enabled a rapid detection of 29 different terpenes and cannabidiol within a total analysis time of 16 min, with satisfactory sensitivity (LOD = 0.03 – 0.27 μg/mL, LOQ = 0.10 – 0.89 μg/mL). The interday and intraday precision (RSD) was <7.82 % and <3.59 %, respectively. Recoveries at two spiked concentration levels (low, 3.15 μg/mL; high, 20.0 μg/mL) were determined on both apical leaves (78.55 – 101.52 %) and inflorescences (77.52 – 107.10 %). The reproducibility (RSD) was <5.94 % and <5.51 % in apical leaves and inflorescences, respectively. The proposed and validated method is highly sensitive, robust, fast, and accurate for determination of the main terpenes and cannabidiol in hemp and could be routinely used for quality control.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32329135

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jssc.201900822

Cannabidiol: A Brief Review of Its Therapeutic and Pharmacologic Efficacy in the Management of Joint Disease.

Cureus | LinkedIn“Cannabis use in the management of musculoskeletal diseases has gained advocacy since several states have legalized its recreational use.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a commercially available, non-neurotropic marijuana constituent, has shown promise in arthritic animal models by attenuating pro-inflammatory immune responses. Additional research has demonstrated the benefit of CBD in decreasing the endogenous pain response in mice subjected to acute arthritic conditions, and further studies have highlighted improved fracture healing following CBD use in murine mid-femoral fractures.

However, there is a lack of high-quality, novel research investigating the use of CBD in human musculoskeletal diseases aside from anecdotal accounts and retrospective reviews, perhaps due to legal ramifications limiting the enrollment of patients. The purpose of this review article is to highlight the extent of current research on CBD and its biochemical and pharmacologic efficacy in the treatment of joint disease, as well as the evidence for use of CBD and cannabis in patients undergoing joint arthroplasty.

Based on available literature relying on retrospective data and case reports, it is challenging to propose a recommendation for CBD use in perioperative pain management. Additionally, a number of CBD products currently available as supplements with different methods of administration, and it is important to remember that these products are non-pharmaceuticals. However, given the increased social relevance of CBD and cannabis-based medicines, future, prospective controlled studies evaluating their efficacy are needed.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32328386

https://www.cureus.com/articles/28249-cannabidiol-a-brief-review-of-its-therapeutic-and-pharmacologic-efficacy-in-the-management-of-joint-disease

Endocannabinoid-Mediated Neuromodulation in the Olfactory Bulb: Functional and Therapeutic Significance.

ijms-logo “Endocannabinoid synthesis in the human body is naturally occurring and on-demand.

It occurs in response to physiological and environmental stimuli, such as stress, anxiety, hunger, other factors negatively disrupting homeostasis, as well as the therapeutic use of the phytocannabinoid cannabidiol and recreational use of exogenous cannabis.

Together with their specific receptors CB1R and CB2R, endocannabinoids are major components of endocannabinoid-mediated neuromodulation in a rapid and sustained manner. Extensive research on endocannabinoid function and expression includes studies in limbic system structures such as the hippocampus and amygdala.

The wide distribution of endocannabinoids, their on-demand synthesis at widely different sites, their co-existence in specific regions of the body, their quantitative differences in tissue type, and different pathological conditions indicate their diverse biological functions that utilize specific and overlapping pathways in multiple organ systems.

Here, we review emerging evidence of these pathways with a special emphasis on the role of endocannabinoids in decelerating neurodegenerative pathology through neural networks initiated by cells in the main olfactory bulb.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32325875

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/8/2850

Endocannabinoids and Stroke Prevention: Review of Clinical Studies.

View details for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research cover image“The societal burden of ischemic stroke suggests a need for additional therapeutic categories in stroke prevention.

Modulation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a rational target for stroke prevention because of its effects on inflammation, vascular tone, and metabolic balance, all well-described stroke risk factors.

In this article, we summarize the existing ECS clinical studies in human subjects’ research as they relate to conventional vascular risk factors associated with ischemic stroke.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32322672

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2018.0066

“The endocannabinoid system and stroke: A focused review. This review seeks to summarize the recent evidence for the role of the endocannabinoid signaling system in stroke pathophysiology, as well as the evidence from preclinical studies regarding the efficacy of cannabinoids as neuroprotective therapies in the treatment of stroke.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6458776/