Cannabinoid receptor 2-mediated attenuation of CXCR4-tropic HIV infection in primary CD4+ T cells.

Authors: Cristina Maria Costantino, Achla Gupta, Alice W. Yewdall, Benjamin M. Dale, et al
PLoS One, 2012

Agents that activate cannabinoid receptor pathways have been tested as treatments for cachexia, nausea or neuropathic pain in HIV-1/AIDS patients. The cannabinoid receptors (CB(1)R and CB(2)R) and the HIV-1 co-receptors, CCR5 and CXCR4, all signal via Gαi-coupled pathways. We…

Cannabidiol enhances anandamide signaling and alleviates psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia.

Authors: F. M. Leweke, D. Piomelli, F. Pahlisch, D. Muhl, C. W. Gerth, C. Hoyer, J. Klosterkötter, et al
Translational Psychiatry, 20 March 2012

Cannabidiol is a component of marijuana that does not activate cannabinoid receptors, but moderately inhibits the degradation of the endocannabinoid anandamide. We previously reported that an elevation of anandamide levels in cerebrospinal fluid inversely correlated to psychot…

Effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol administration on human encoding and recall memory function: a pharmacological FMRI study.

Authors: Matthijs G. Bossong, Gerry Jager, Hendrika H. van Hell, Lineke Zuurman, et al
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, March 2012

Deficits in memory function are an incapacitating aspect of various psychiatric and neurological disorders. Animal studies have recently provided strong evidence for involvement of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in memory function. Neuropsychological studies in humans have s…