Cannabis can counter Alzheimer’s Disease: Study
07 Jul 2016
A new study carried out by the Salk Institute is providing insight into the way medical cannabis could actually work to counter the degenerative effects of Alzheimer's disease. The study is published in the journal Nature.
''Salk Institute scientists have found preliminary evidence that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other compounds found in marijuana can promote the cellular removal of amyloid beta, a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer's disease.
While these exploratory studies were conducted in neurons grown in the laboratory, they may offer insight into the role of inflammation in Alzheimer's disease and could provide clues to developing novel therapeutics for the disorder.
''Although other studies have offered evidence that cannabinoids might be neuroprotective against the symptoms of Alzheimer's, we believe our study is the first to demonstrate that cannabinoids affect both inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells,'' says Salk professor David Schubert, the senior author of the paper.''
Amyloid beta accumulations within nerve cells of the brain figured as a major contributor to plaque deposits, which were the signature of Alzheimer's disease. Although much was still not known as regards the development of the process, the application of THC and related compounds appeared to protect the nerve cells from dying.
''Inflammation within the brain is a major component of the damage associated with Alzheimer's disease, but it has always been assumed that this response was coming from immune-like cells in the brain, not the nerve cells themselves,'' says Antonio Currais, a post-doctoral researcher in Schubert's laboratory and first author of the paper.
''When we were able to identify the molecular basis of the inflammatory response to amyloid beta, it became clear that THC-like compounds that the nerve cells make themselves may be involved in protecting the cells from dying.''
According to Schubert, clinical trials need to be conducted to use THC as a therapy or preventative measure.
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