Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), also called grade IV astrocytoma, is an aggressive, malignant brain tumor with a low treatment success rate, particularly in patients with immune checkpoint-active tumors. These types of tumors are associated with a 5-year survival rate of <3%. Targeted treatments specifically designed for GBM are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of chemovar-specific cannabis extractions (CSCEs) in patients with GBM using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).
https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.png00Michelle Smithhttps://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.pngMichelle Smith2023-11-18 12:51:352023-11-18 12:51:35Cannabis Extracts on Glioblastoma Cell Lines: Chemical Composition and Pharmacologic Insights
Breast cancer is the leading cancer among females worldwide. Disease outcome depends on the hormonal status of the cancer and whether or not it is metastatic, but there is a need for more efficacious therapeutic strategies where first line treatment fails. In this study, Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) inhibition and endocannabinoids were examined as therapeutic alternatives. FAAH is an integral membrane enzyme that hydrolyzes endocannabinoids, rendering them inactive, and FAAH inhibition is predicted to increase cancer cell death. To test this, breast cancer cells were probed for FAAH expression using Western blot analysis, treated with FAAH inhibitors, exogenous endocannabinoids, and combinations of the two treatments, and assessed for viability.
https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.png00Michelle Smithhttps://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.pngMichelle Smith2023-11-12 15:21:372023-11-12 15:21:37FAAH inhibition ameliorates breast cancer in a murine model
The side effects of cancer therapy continue to cause significant health and cost burden to the patient, their friends and family, and governments. A major barrier in the way in which these side effects are managed is the highly siloed mentality that results in a fragmented approach to symptom control. Increasingly, it is appreciated that many symptoms are manifestations of common underlying pathobiology, with changes in the gastrointestinal environment a key driver for many symptom sequelae. Breakdown of the mucosal barrier (mucositis) is a common and early side effect of many anti-cancer agents, known to contribute (in part) to a range of highly burdensome symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, infection, malnutrition, fatigue, depression, and insomnia. Here, we outline a rationale for how, based on its already documented effects on the gastrointestinal microenvironment, medicinal cannabis could be used to control mucositis and prevent the constellation of symptoms with which it is associated. We will provide a brief update on the current state of evidence on medicinal cannabis in cancer care and outline the potential benefits (and challenges) of using medicinal cannabis during active cancer therapy.
https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.png00Michelle Smithhttps://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.pngMichelle Smith2023-11-08 17:39:592023-11-08 17:39:59Supporting gut health with medicinal cannabis in people with advanced cancer: potential benefits and challenges
Medical cannabis may provide a treatment option for chronic neuropathic pain. However, empirical disease-specific data are scarce. This is a retrospective observational study including 99 patients with chronic neuropathic pain. These patients received medical cannabis by means of inhaling dried flowers with tetrahydrocannabinol content of <12–22% at a maximal daily dose of 0.15–1 g. Up to six follow-ups were carried out at intervals of 4–6 weeks. Pain severity, sleep disturbance, general improvement, side effects, and therapy tolerance at the follow-up consultations were assessed in interviews and compared with the baseline data using non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.png00Michelle Smithhttps://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.pngMichelle Smith2023-11-08 17:25:292023-11-08 17:25:29Medical Cannabis Alleviates Chronic Neuropathic Pain Effectively and Sustainably without Severe Adverse Effect: A Retrospective Study on 99 Cases
Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic brain diseases. Almost one-thirdof patients have drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Cannabidiol is being considered as a potential novel drug for treating DRE. To investigate long-term efficacy and safety of cannabidiol in treatment of DRE and the differences in cannabidiol treatment among patients with different characteristics.
https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.png00Michelle Smithhttps://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.pngMichelle Smith2023-11-08 17:13:062023-11-08 17:13:06Long-term efficacy and adverse effects of cannabidiol in adjuvant treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Medical cannabis may provide a treatment option for chronic neuropathic pain. However, empirical disease-specific data are scarce. This is a retrospective observational study including 99 patients with chronic neuropathic pain. These patients received medical cannabis by means of inhaling dried flowers with tetrahydrocannabinol content of <12–22% at a maximal daily dose of 0.15–1 g. Up to six follow-ups were carried out at intervals of 4–6 weeks. Pain severity, sleep disturbance, general improvement, side effects, and therapy tolerance at the follow-up consultations were assessed in interviews and compared with the baseline data using non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.png00Michelle Smithhttps://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.pngMichelle Smith2023-11-01 17:46:472023-11-01 17:46:47Medical Cannabis Alleviates Chronic Neuropathic Pain Effectively and Sustainably without Severe Adverse Effect: A Retrospective Study on 99 Cases
Cannabis use is associated with brain functional changes in regions implicated in prominent neuroscientific theories of addiction. Emerging evidence suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) is neuroprotective and may reverse structural brain changes associated with prolonged heavy cannabis use. In this study, we examine how an ∼10-week exposure of CBD in cannabis users affected resting-state functional connectivity in brain regions functionally altered by cannabis use.
Cannabis use is associated with brain functional changes in regions implicated in prominent neuroscientific theories of addiction. Emerging evidence suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) is neuroprotective and may reverse structural brain changes associated with prolonged heavy cannabis use. In this study, we examine how an ∼10-week exposure of CBD in cannabis users affected resting-state functional connectivity in brain regions functionally altered by cannabis use.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is experienced by 37–84% of patients during and/or after end-of-treatment and often results in discontinuation of anti-neoplastic treatment and impairment of health-related quality of life. Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown preventive effects in CIPN animal models without compromising chemotherapy efficacy.
Neuroinflammation precedes the clinical onset of various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), by years or frequently even decades (1–3). In terms of the underlying physiology, there is a great need for understanding and controlling interactions between the central nervous system (CNS) and the immune system in an attempt to develop approaches to prevent or delay the disease’s progression. Nerve cells have limited motion capability, whereas immune cells can migrate freely via circulation. This difference raises a variety of questions in the context of senile plaque formation and phagocytosis. Broad-scale unbiased genomic studies bring several genetic variants such as sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin 3 (CD33), triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) or complement receptor type 1 (CR1) into the focus of researchers’ attention as potential risk factors for neuroinflammation. In addition, advanced proteomic analyses have been revealing links between these genetic contributors and complex, malfunctioning signaling pathways (including the upregulation of factors like tumor necrosis factor TNF-α, tumor growth factor TGF-β and interleukin IL-1α) that promote proinflammatory mechanisms via intracellular signaling and trafficking, synaptic function, and cell metabolism/proliferation.
https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.png00Michelle Smithhttps://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.pngMichelle Smith2023-10-29 15:55:572023-10-29 15:55:57Neuroinflammation, Its Role in Alzheimer’s Disease and Therapeutic Strategies
Seizure frequency in treatment-resistant epilepsies seems to be decreased by cannabidiol (CBD), but contrasting data are available on its effect on sleep, behavior, and quality of life (QoL), and no data is reported on its effect on parental stress in patients with epilepsy (PWE). Thus, we conducted a retrospective study on a cohort of children and adults with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) who had been treated with highly purified, pharmaceutical-grade CBD to evaluate its effects on seizure frequency, QoL, behavior, parental stress, and sleep. Eighteen patients (12 adults and 6 children) were included in the cohort and followed for a median of 9 months.
https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.png00Michelle Smithhttps://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.pngMichelle Smith2023-10-28 05:18:552023-10-28 05:20:24Highly purified cannabidiol in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsies: A real-life impact on seizure frequency, quality of life, behavior, and sleep patterns from a single Italian center
In the course of the legalization of cannabis for therapeutic purposes in Germany, there has been growing interest in the medical use of cannabinoids. To date, the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for the treatment of critically ill patients has not been explored.This study aims to understand better whether and how frequently cannabinoids have been administered to critically ill patients in recent years.
https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.png00Michelle Smithhttps://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scc_logo-long-R-2-1.pngMichelle Smith2023-10-28 05:08:412023-10-28 05:08:41Therapeutic Use of Cannabinoids in Critically Ill Patients: A Survey of Intensive Care Physicians in Germany