Tag Archives: marijuana

Study uncovers marijuana’s potential to treat autoimmune diseases

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“A team of University of South Carolina researchers led by Mitzi Nagarkatti, Prakash Nagarkatti and Xiaoming Yang have discovered a novel pathway through which marijuana can suppress the body’s immune functions. Their research has been published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The university study has uncovered yet another potential application for marijuana, in the suppression of immune response to treat autoimmune diseases.”

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140603/Study-uncovers-marijuanas-potential-to-treat-autoimmune-diseases.aspx

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/autoimmune-disease/

Marijuana Might be Effective in Treating Autoimmune Diseases: Study

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“University of South Carolina researchers say that marijuana can reduce inflammation and could be effective in treating autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, lupus and colitis.

Marijuana is not an FDA-approved medication. The main ingredient in the drug – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – is approved to lower nausea and vomiting in people exposed to chemotherapy. The compound is also used to fight wasting syndrome in people with AIDS.”

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/7370/20140603/marijuana-effective-treating-autoimmune-diseases-researchers.htm

Marijuana Could Treat Autoimmune Disease: Study

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“Building the case for the most widely used illicit drug in developed countries, researchers from the University of South Carolina have discovered marijuana’s potential to treat autoimmune diseases in which chronic inflammation plays a pivotal role.

These include arthritis, lupus, colitis and multiple sclerosis.

Published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the findings say marijuana’s potential key role in fighting these diseases lies in its capacity to suppress certain immune functions, notably inflammation.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/06/04/marijuana-autoimmune-disease_n_5445171.html

Do cannabinoids have a therapeutic role in transplantation?

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Figure 1

“Cannabinoids are a group of terpenophenolic compounds structurally similar to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from the plant Cannabis sativa.

Cannabinoids have emerged as powerful drug candidates for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases due to their immunosuppressive properties.

Significant clinical and experimental data on the use of cannabinoids as anti-inflammatory agents exist in many autoimmune disease settings, but virtually no studies have been undertaken on their potential role in transplant rejection. Here we suggest a theoretical role for the use of cannabinoids in preventing allograft rejection.

…manipulation of endocannabinoids in vivo by activating their biosynthesis and inhibiting cellular uptake and metabolism may offer another pathway to regulate immune response during allograft rejection.

…cannabinoids have emerged as novel anti-inflammatory agents because of their efficacy in the treatment of many immune-mediated disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune hepatitis.

Transplantation is one critical area of medicine that requires the use of immunosuppressants.

 Inasmuch as, immune cells constitute an important resource of endocannabinoids, it may be easier to manipulate their levels during an immune response, which could have a direct and immediate impact on such cells that determine the fate of the allograft.

In summary, targeting cannabinoid receptors and understanding the role and use of exo-and endocannabinoids in experimental allograft rejection models may provide an exciting new beginning with significant translational impact.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2923447/

Cannabinoid receptor 2: potential role in immunomodulation and neuroinflammation.

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“The cannabinoids are a group of terpenophenolic compounds present in the marijuana plant, Cannabis sativa. At present, three general types of cannabinoids have been identified: phytocannabinoids present uniquely in the cannabis plant, endogenous cannabinoids produced in humans and animals, and synthetic cannabinoids generated in a laboratory. It is worth noting that Cannabis sativa produces over 80 cannabinoids…

An accumulating body of evidence suggests that endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors type 1 and 2 (CB(1), CB(2)) play a significant role in physiologic and pathologic processes, including cognitive and immune functions.

…there is growing appreciation of the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in multiple pathologic conditions involving chronic inflammation (inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, multiple sclerosis, HIV-1 infection, stroke, Alzheimer’sdisease to name a few), mainly mediated by CB(2) activation.

This review attempts to summarize recent advances in studies of CB(2) activation in the setting of neuroinflammation, immunomodulation and HIV-1 infection.

The full potential of CB2 agonists as therapeutic agents remains to be realized.

Despite some inadequacies of preclinical models to predict clinical efficacy in humans and differences between the signaling of human and rodent CB2 receptors, the development of selective CB2 agonists may open new avenues in therapeutic intervention.

Such interventions would aim at reducing the release of pro-inflammatory mediators particularly in chronic neuropathologic conditions such as HAND or MS.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3663904/

 

Attenuation of experimental autoimmune hepatitis by exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids: involvement of regulatory T cells.

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“Immune-mediated liver diseases including autoimmune and viral hepatitis are a major health problem worldwide. Natural cannabinoids such as Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) effectively modulate immune cell function, and they have shown therapeutic potential in treating inflammatory diseases.

We investigated the effects of THC in a murine model of concanavalin A (ConA)-induced hepatitis…

Our data demonstrate that targeting cannabinoid receptors using exogenous or endogenous cannabinoids and use of FAAH inhibitors may constitute novel therapeutic modalities to treat immune-mediated liver inflammation.

δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive component of marijuana (Cannabis sativa), has wide-ranging pharmacological properties. The cannabinoid compounds possess significant immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. THC and cannabinoid receptor agonists have shown promise in several models of inflammation.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2828293/

Role of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Amelioration of Experimental Autoimmune Hepatitis Following Activation of TRPV1 Receptors by Cannabidiol

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“Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are getting increased attention as one of the main regulatory cells of the immune system. They are induced at sites of inflammation and can potently suppress T cell functions. In the current study, we demonstrate how activation of TRPV1 vanilloid receptors can trigger MDSCs, which in turn, can inhibit inflammation and hepatitis…

This study demonstrates for the first time that MDSCs play a critical role in attenuating acute inflammation in the liver, and that agents such as CBD, which trigger MDSCs through activation of TRPV1 vanilloid receptors may constitute a novel therapeutic modality to treat inflammatory diseases.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major non-psychoactive cannabinoid component of marijuana.

Together, these studies not only demonstrate that CBD can protect the host from acute liver injury but also provide evidence for the first time that MDSCs may play a critical role in protecting the liver from acute inflammation.

Non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as CBD possess great therapeutic potential in treating various inflammatory liver diseases, including autoimmune hepatitis.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3069975/

Immunoactive effects of cannabinoids: considerations for the therapeutic use of cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists

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“The active constituents of Cannabis sativa have been used for centuries as recreational drugs and medicinal agents. Today, marijuana is the most prevalent drug of abuse in the United States and, conversely, therapeutic use of marijuana constituents are gaining mainstream clinical and political acceptance.

Given the documented contributions of endocannabinoid signaling to a range of physiological systems, including cognitive function, and the control of eating behaviors, it is unsurprising that cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists are showing significant clinical potential.

In addition to the neuroactive effects of cannabinoids, an emerging body of data suggests that both endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids are potently immunoactive.

The central premise of this review article is that the immunological effects of cannabinoids should be considered in the context of each prescribing decision.

We present evidence that the immunological effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists are highly relevant to the spectrum of disorders for which cannabinoid therapeutics are currently offered.

Therapeutically relevant cannabinoid receptor ligands include tetra-hydrocannabinol itself, its synthetic forms, and its closely related compounds.

As a final point, the application of CB1 antagonists may be immunostimulative…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3804300/

Targeting the CB2 receptor for immune modulation.

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“Early work on the biology of the components of Cannabis sativa showed evidence for a potential influence on immune regulation.

With the discovery of a peripheral cannabinoid receptor associated with immune cells, many laboratories have sought to link the immunoregulatory activities of cannabinoid compounds with this receptor, hoping that such compounds would lack the psychoactive effects of marijuana and other nonspecific cannabinoid agonists.

In this report, the authors investigate the role of the cannabinoid CB2 receptor in immune regulation, with particular emphasis on compounds shown to regulate immune cell recruitment.

The authors conclude by using the immune cell recruitment model to rationalise cannabinoidCB2 receptor-specific effects in modulating immune disease, particularly the increasing evidence for its role in experimental autoimmuneencephalomyelitis and in influencing bone density.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16981823

Cannabinoid Modulation of Neuroinflammatory Disorders

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Table 1.

“Cannabis sativa is a herb belonging to the Cannabaceae family, characterized by palmate leaves and numerous fibers. Its first record as a medicine dates back to 5000 years ago and it was found in China, where cannabis was used for a myriad of purposes and diseases, including malaria, neuropathic pain, nausea, sexual dysfunction and constipation.

The use of cannabis spread from Central Asia and deeply influenced Indian folk medicine. However, sedative and psychotropic effects of cannabis turned it into a recreational drug. This fact resulted in discrimination against the consumption of the cannabis plant and its derivatives, which delayed the scientific findings in this field…

In recent years, a growing interest has been dedicated to the study of the endocannabinoid system. The isolation of Cannabis sativa main psychotropic compound, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has led to the discovery of an atypical neurotransmission system that modulates the release of other neurotransmitters and participates in many biological processes, including the cascade of inflammatory responses.

In this context, cannabinoids have been studied for their possible therapeutic properties in neuroinflammatory diseases. In this review, historic and biochemical aspects of cannabinoids are discussed, as well as their function as modulators of inflammatory processes and therapeutic perspectives for neurodegenerative disorders, particularly, multiple sclerosis.

Cannabinoid compounds may be extracted from the plant (phytocannabinoids) or be artificially obtained (synthetic cannabinoids)…

To date, it is still impossible to prove or rule out all benefits of cannabis described empirically by ancient herbal practitioners. For now, science aims to understand how cannabinoid compounds are associated with neuroinflammation and how cannabis-based medicine can help millions of patients worldwide.”

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3386505/