Israeli study finds cannabis delays cancer development

http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/society/67341-150411-israeli-study-finds-cannabis-delays-cancer-development

50 varieties of Israeli cannabis and its effects on 200 different cancer cells are being studied by scientists

Frederic J. Brown (AFP/File)"The highly-rated strain of medical marijuana 'Blue Dream' is displayed among others in glass jars at LA's first-ever cannabis farmer's market on July 4, 2014 in Los Angeles, California"

A preliminary study conducted by Israeli scientists has discovered that cannabis may help slow the growth of certain cancerous tumors, even eliminating them completely, reported the Israeli daily Haaretz. Already known for its therapeutic effects on certain diseases, cannabis may also have reactive properties, according to Israeli researchers at the Technion (Israel Institute of Technology) in Haifa who conducted research on the healing properties of the plant.
Dr. David Meiri, assistant professor in the biology department at the Technion, is leading the research team. The project began a year ago and is focused on the cytoskeleton and cell division in healthy and cancerous cells.
"There is a large body of scientific data which indicates that cannabinoids specifically inhibit cancer cell growth and promote cancer cell death," explained Meiri to Haaretz. "In addition to active cannabinoids, cannabis plants also contain a multitude of other therapeutic agents, such as terpenoids and flavonoids that are usually present in small quantities, but can have beneficial therapeutic effects, especially as synergistic compounds to cannabinoids."
Meiri and his colleagues have succeeded in causing the cancer cells responsible for brain cancer to "commit suicide,' and have also found similar results in breast cancer cells,
From there Meiri and his colleagues are hoping to find other cancer cells which react in the same way.
Scientists are currently studying an estimated 50 different varieties of cannabis produced in Israel and its effects on 200 different types of cancer cells.
Despite these promising results, Dr. Meiri said it was too early to draw definitive conclusions.

Article by Helen Bamber

The Legalization of Cannabis

The questions and debate surrounding the legalisation of cannabis have been circling for decades, but only recently has the weight of public support swung in favor of legalisation. Whilst the majority of Americans now support the concept of cannabis legalisation is some format (whether for medicinal or recreational use) the American government still spends around $1 billion every year on enforcing the current cannabis prohibition laws. Some key commentators suspect that we will soon see this change. One of the main problems surrounding cannabis legalisation, and the main reason that we haven’t seen widespread legalisation is in getting the legislation around the issue right. If marijuana is legalised across the board with open access to all, in the same way that alcohol is legalised, then we are likely to see a huge increase in the number of cannabis users, particularly amongst the poor, the young, and the vulnerable: something that no government wants. However there are many proven benefits of marijuana use for medicinal purposes, and as more and more studies prove its worth, these really cannot be ignored any longer. So what is the best way to legalise marijuana which will ensure that the vulnerable are protected, whilst giving those who need the drug for medical use some much needed reassurance and legal protection?

Will We Soon See Federal Approval?

It was very recently announced that, for the first time, the Senate would consider legalising the medical use of marijuana for people who find the drug beneficial in assisting a list of pre-approved conditions.  Whilst several states have already adopted this policy and incorporated it into their state laws, so far there has been absolutely no comment on the process at a federal level. Until now. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) will join together to introduce a bill that would reclassify marijuana to schedule 1 rather than schedule 2 in the federal drugs scheduling system. The main benefit of the bill is that it would permanently prohibit the federal government from shutting down medical marijuana operations in states where the use of marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes. Rescheduling the drug will allow for further research into the medical benefits of taking marijuana, enabling  at least three different licenses to be issued to FDA-approved research institutions for marijuana related studies that will only serve to benefit the wider population.

The Importance of Smart Legislation

When it comes to legalizing cannabis, it is important that that legalization is sensible, and that it is restricted to use for medicinal purposes, rather than introduced in a widespread way, in the same way as tobacco and alcohol.  An estimated 42.1 million adults in the United States currently smoke cigarettes (around 18% of the population) and around 130.6 million people (which is more than half of the population) currently regularly drink alcohol. These large figures are, in a huge part, because both of these substances are legal and people are free to use them without anything other than age restriction. In comparison, there are much fewer people in the country regularly taking marijuana, and the fear is that complete legalization would change this, leaving is living in a nation of pot heads. Nationwide and unrestricted legalization, therefore, is unlikely to ever occur in the United States and for good reason.

Now is the right time for the Senate to discuss this issue and for this legislation to be passed. As public opinion against the blanket prohibition of cannabis continues to grow, it is essential that the parameters within which the government are willing to consider legalizing the substance are outlined and discussed. Legalization on the basis of medical need makes good medical and national sense, and is something that has been recommended by a wide host of medical professionals. An across the board legalization, however, is yet to be recommended by any leading figure, and could well turn the tide of public opinion against the concept of legalization. Only time will tell if this new and exciting bill is passed by the Senate, and what it will mean for those in states where marijuana is not currently legal who wish to take the drug due to medical need.

by Helen Bamber

‘Vitamin Weed’: Neuroscientist says cannabis oil slows down aging process

Neuroscientist Dr. Michelle Ross says she believes everyone can benefit from ‘vitamin weed’, or daily cannabis oil use.  “Cannabis is the key to unlocking preventative medicine,” says neuroscientist Dr. Michelle Ross.  “It helps protect your DNA from damage so it can actually slow down the aging process. I think everyone should use cannabis oil, you should learn about it, you shouldn’t be afraid.”

In this clip from the Reset with Amber Lyon podcast, Dr. Ross says she takes Rick Simpson Oil on a daily basis to achieve endocannabinoid homeostasis.   Endocannabinoids are your brain’s natural marijuana and play a major role in overall health including the regulation of appetite, anxiety control, blood pressure, bone mass, reproduction, and motor coordination.  Deficient cannabinoid levels may be the underlying cause of numerous health conditions alleviated by cannabis.

Dr. Ross is a former drug researcher for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, turned medical marijuana advocate.

Proapoptotic effect of endocannabinoids in prostate cancer cells

http://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/or.2015.3746

• Authors:
  • O. Orellana-Serradell
  • C. E. Poblete
  • C. Sanchez
  • E. A. Castellón
  • I. Gallegos
  • C. Huidobro
  • M. N. Llanos
  • H. R. Contreras
• Corresponding author:
  • H. R. Contreras [ hcontrer@med.uchile.cl ]
• View Affiliations
  
• Published online on: Wednesday, January 21, 2015
• DOI: 10.3892/or.2015.3746

Abstract

In the early stages, prostate cancer is androgen‑ dependent; therefore, medical castration has shown significant results during the initial stages of this pathology. Despite this early effect, advanced prostate cancer is resilient to such treatment. Recent evidence shows that derivatives of Cannabis sativa and its analogs may exert a protective effect against different types of oncologic pathologies. The purpose of the present study was to detect the presence of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) on cancer cells with a prostatic origin and to evaluate the effect of the in vitro use of synthetic analogs. In order to do this, we used a commercial cell line and primary cultures derived from prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. The presence of the CB1 and CB2 receptors was determined by immunohistochemistry where we showed a higher expression of these receptors in later stages of the disease (samples with a high Gleason score). Later, treatments were conducted using anandamide, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and a synthetic analog of anandamide, methanandamide. Using the MTT assay, we proved that the treatments produced a cell growth inhibitory effect on all the different prostate cancer cultures. This effect was demonstrated to be dose-dependent. The use of a specific CB1 receptor blocker (SR141716) confirmed that this effect was produced primarily from the activation of the CB1 receptor. In order to understand the MTT assay results, we determined cell cycle distribution by flow cytometry, which showed no variation at the different cell cycle stages in all the cultures after treatment. Treatment with endocannabinoids resulted in an increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells as determined by Annexin V assays and caused an increase in the levels of activated caspase-3 and a reduction in the levels of Bcl-2 confirming that the reduction in cell viability noted in the MTT assay was caused by the activation of the apoptotic pathway. Finally, we observed that endocannabinoid treatment activated the Erk pathway and at the same time, produced a decrease in the activation levels of the Akt pathway. Based on these results, we suggest that endocannabinoids may be a beneficial option for the treatment of prostate cancer that has become nonresponsive to common therapies.

 

see also...

Endocannabinoids in the Treatment of Prostate Cancer

German Scientists Have Confirmed an Amazing Link between Cannabis and Cancer Suppression

Researchers at the Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology of Rostock University in Germany further confirm the profound benefits of Cannabis

 

R

esearchers at the Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology of Rostock University in Germany rang in the New Year with excellent news for the world. In a study, Prof. Burkhard Hinz and his scientists put the active ingredients in cannabis up to the claims of holding an ability to truly kill cancer cells, even going further into the chemistry to find out exactly how this medical miracle takes place.  

Hinz’s repertoire with cannabis goes back a ways. In 2008 his research team was the first to discover that active ingredients actually slowed the migration of tumor cells into the surrounding tissues, this migration is what commonly leads metastasis, which is when cancer moves out from one affected area and into the rest of the body.   

The research has been published in the January 2015 edition of the journal Biochemical Pharmacology with the title “New Insights into Antimetastic and Antiangiogenic Effects of Cannabinoids.” What they found was that both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC or known as Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol) and cannabidiol, also an active substance and originating from cannabis, contribute to the destruction of tumor cells by stimulating the formation of a specific protein, ICAM-1. By acting on the surface of the cells attacked by cancer, the proteins link themselves to the immune system’s own defensive cells, making the cancerous cells burst. The active ingredients, thus, prevent cancerous cells from forming blood vessels which allow the cancer to take root and grow.

This is, of course, very encouraging news, but the professor gave no timeline with respect to when his studies will progress onward with the process of producing an actual medicine. Hinz emphasized that the study is still at an early stage, and said, “We are far from putting our discoveries into practice on a clinical level. However, our results are further evidence that cannabinoids mediate a series of potentially therapeutic uses.” 

 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1937644814000082

Chapter Two – New Insights into Antimetastatic and Antiangiogenic Effects of Cannabinoids

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Abstract

Cannabinoids exert antitumorigenic effects via multiple mechanisms. Of these, antimetastatic and antiangiogenic actions have attracted considerable interest in the past years. Regarding the underlying antimetastatic mechanism, several studies revealed cannabinoids to alter the gene expression of cancer cells toward a less-aggressive phenotype and to modulate their secretomic profile. Cannabinoids likewise modulate the release of factors from tumor cells that subsequently suppress the chemoattraction of vessel cells thereby conferring antiangiogenesis. Among the diverse mediators of cannabinoids' antitumorigenic action, the tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1, which is released from cancer cells upon cannabinoid treatment, has been implicated as a pivotal factor conferring both anti-invasive properties of cancer cells as well as antiangiogenic capacities of endothelial cells. In addition, cannabinoids have been shown to inhibit angiogenic capacities of endothelial cells directly via suppressing their proliferation, tube formation, and migration. This chapter reviews the cell- and substance-specific antitumorigenic mechanisms of cannabinoids with particular consideration of their antimetastatic/anti-invasive and antiangiogenic actions. In addition, beneficial interactions of cannabinoids with currently used chemotherapeutics as well as the influence of cannabinoids on tumor-immune surveillance are addressed. Collectively, the currently available data suggest cannabinoids as a potential tool in modern cancer pharmacotherapy.

Keywords

• Angiogenesis;
• Cancer;
• Cannabinoids;
• Metastasis;
• Tumor cell invasion

Corresponding author: E-mail: burkhard.hinz@med.uni-rostock.de

Study Shows THC May Limit Damage Caused By Heart Attack

http://www.medicaljane.com/2013/07/22/thc-is-beneficial-for-brain-heart-health/

Small Amounts Of THC Defend Against Heart Attacks

A recent study conducted by the Felsenstein Medical Research Center in Israel offered some new evidence of the medical value of Cannabis. The study, published in the Journal of Biochemical Pharmacology, was conducted to determine what effect small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has on heart protection. In order to do so, they conducted an experiment using mice as the subjects.

“A single ultra low dose of THC before ischemia [Insufficient Blood flow] is a safe and effective treatment that reduces myocardial ischemic [Heart Attack] damage.” – Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Israel

Researchers administered small amounts of THC (4 times less than the intoxicating amount) to mice before simulating a heart attack by restricting their blood flow.
The THC was administered on three different schedules in reference to the “heart attack”: 2 hours prior, 48 hours prior, and 3 weeks prior of continuous treatment.
In order to gauge the effect of THC in this study, researchers observed a number of common signs and/or residual effects of heart attacks. In each schedule of THC administration the study reported an improvement in each of the categories.

THC Has The Upper Hand On Cardiac Damage

Fractional Shortening is a ratio used to objectively rate the level of efficiency that a ventricle is working with. In observing this ratio, researchers found that THC treatment resulted in a 4.7% increase.
Troponin T is a regulatory protein found in cardiac muscle that leaks into the bloodstream in the case of cardiovascular damage. High volumes of it in the blood is often used to diagnose heart attacks. Researchers found that THC treatment reduced the amount of Troponin T by an average of 4 nano grams per milliliter.

The area of dead tissue caused by insufficient blood flow decreased by 6% after THC treatment.

In cases where blood is unable to reach a specific area, an infarction can form. This is an area in which the tissue dies, due to a process called necrosis. The researchers measured the size of these infarctions and found they decreased 6% after THC treatment.
Better heart health undoubtedly results in a longer lifespan. The study above suggests an ultra-low dose of THC can be beneficial in preparation for cardiac surgery. It could limit the damage incurred by the patient and possibly aid in the recovery.

Marijuana fights Alzheimer’s disease, new study indicates

http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2014/11/29/marijuana-fights-alzheimers-disease-study-indicates/

Posted on November 29, 2014 at 9:32 am by David Downs in Health, Science

The anti-inflammatory cannabis may prevent Alzheimer's Disease later in life, researchers suspect (via Flickr - institut-douglas w/ CC license)

Another study is adding evidence to the case for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease with the compounds in cannabis.
Research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease this September “strongly suggest that THC [the main active ingredient in marijuana] could be a potential therapeutic treatment option for Alzheimer’s disease through multiple functions and pathways.”
More than five million Americans have Alzheimer’s today. One in three seniors will die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the nation, costing America about $203 billion in 2013.
Chuanhai Cao and other researchers at the University of South Florida and Thomas Jefferson University wanted to investigate the “potential therapeutic qualities of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with respect to slowing or halting the hallmark characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease.”
So they treated Alzheimer’s research cells (N2a-variant amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) cells) with THC and examined them for amyloid-β at the 6, 24, and 48-hour time markers. Amyloid-β is a type of protein that is linked to Alzheimer’s symptoms. The researchers found THC “to be effective at lowering Aβ levels … in a dose-dependent manner.”
The main active ingredient in pot “directly interacts” with amyloid-β, “thereby inhibiting aggression”. THC was also effective at lowering other key Alzheimer’s Disease markers. Furthermore “no toxicity” was observed from the THC. The researchers also found THC “enhances” the function of the cell’s energy factories — the mitochondria.
“THC is known to be a potent antioxidant with neuroprotective properties, but this is the first report that the compound directly affects Alzheimer’s pathology by decreasing amyloid beta levels, inhibiting its aggregation, and enhancing mitochondrial function,” stated study lead author Chuanhai Cao, PhD and a neuroscientist at the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute and the USF College of Pharmacy.
“Decreased levels of amyloid beta means less aggregation, which may protect against the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Since THC is a natural and relatively safe amyloid inhibitor, THC or its analogs may help us develop an effective treatment in the future.”
Other research in the same journal that month indicates THC boosts the body’s natural anti-Alzheimer’s fighting mechanism — the endocannabinoid system.
Alzheimer’s Disease is thought to result from a lifetime of brain inflammation. Cannabis is one of the most safe anti-inflammatories in medicine. Some neuroscientists believe a bout of pot smoking in early adulthood may prevent Alzheimer’s onset later in life. Cannabis slows brain aging, Time reported in 2012.
Smoking, vaping, or eating the pot molecules THC and CBD directly effects nerve cell function, reducing chronic brain inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular dysfunction — all the while promoting stability of the human body’s internal environment (homeostasis) and healthy brain cells (neurotrophic support), studies show.
“What we found was that not only did the single puff a day reverse the memory impairment but also restarted neurogenesis,” Ohio State University, Gary Wenk told the Seattle Post Intelligencer this year.
Other studies have shown THC inhibits other key pathological markers of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The U.S. government has patented marijuana molecule CBD as a neuroprotectant, evan as it maintains that cannabis is a schedule 1 drug with no medical use and high potential for abuse. The federal drug war is blocking deeper research into cannabis’ impacts on brain disease, Wenk states.