Cancer Research

The use of cannabinoids containing plant extracts as herbal medicine can be traced back to as early as 500 BC. In recent years, the medical and health-related applications of one of the non-psychotic cannabinoids, cannabidiol or CBD, has garnered tremendous attention. In this review, we will discuss the most recent findings that strongly support the further development of CBD as a promising anti-cancer drug.

Exosomes and microvesicles (EMV) are lipid bilayer-enclosed structures, released by cells involved in intercellular communication through transfer of proteins and genetic material. EMV release is also associated with various pathologies, including cancer, where increased EMV release is amongst other associated with chemo-resistance and active transfer of pro-oncogenic factors.

The main chemical component of cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), has been shown to have antitumor properties. The resent study examined the in vitro effects of CBD on human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells. CBD significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation of SGS-7901 cells .Further investigation showed that CBD significantly upregulated ataxia telangiectasia-mutated gene (ATM) and p53 protein expression and downregulated p21 protein expression in SGC-7901 cells, which subsequently inhibited the levels of CDK2 and cyclin E, thereby resulting in cell cycle arrest at the Go-G1 phase.

Cannabinoids have demonstrated anticarcinogenic properties in a variety of malignancies, including prostate cancer. In the present study, we explored the anti-cancer effects of the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2(WIN) in prostate cancer.

Cannabinoids-endocannaboids are possible preventatives of common diseases including cancers. Cannabinoid receptors (CB1/2 TRPV1) are central components of the system. Many disease-ameliorating effects of cannabinoids-endocannabinoids are receptor mediated, but many are not, indicating non-CBR signaling pathways.

Two patients with a confirmed diagnosis of high-grade gliomas (Grades III/IV), both presenting with O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) methylated and isocitrate dehdrogenase (DH-1) mutated, after subtotal resection, were submitted to chemoradiation and followed by PCV, a multiple drug regimen (procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine) associated with cannabidiol (CBD). Both patients presented with satisfactory clinical and imaging responses at periodic evaluations.

Pancreatic cancer is particularly refractory to modern therapies, with a 5-year survival rate for patients at a dismal 8%. One of the significant barriers to effective treatment is the immunosuppressive pancreatic tumor microenvironment and development to resistance to treatment.

Colorectal cancer remains the third most common cancer diagnosis and fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Purified cannabinoids have been reported to prevent proliferation, metastasis, and induce apoptosis in a variety of cancer cell types. This study was aimed to specify the cytotoxic effects of C. sativa-derived extracts on colon cancer cells and adenomatous polyps by identification of active compounds and characterization of their interaction.

Currently, the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in cancer development and possible options for cancer-regressive effect of cannabinoids are controversially discussed. In recent decades, a number of preclinical studies have shown that cannabinoids have an anticarcinogenic potential.

Studies have emphasized an am antineoplastic effect on the non-psychoactive, phyto-cannabinoid, Cannabidiol (CBD). However, the molecular mechanism underlying its antitumor activity is not fully elucidated. Herein, we have examined the effect of CBD on two different human breast cancer cell lines.

The mechanisms behind the anti-tumoral effects of cannabinoids by impacting the migratory activity of tumor cells are only partially understood. Previous studies demonstrated that cannabinoids altered the organization of the actin cytoskeleton in various cell types.

Many malignant cancers, including breast cancer, have a propensity to invade bones, leading to excruciating bone pain. Opioids are the primary analgesics used to alleviate this cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) but are associated with numerous severe side effects, including enhanced bone degradation, which significantly impairs patients’ quality of life. By contrast, agonists activating only peripheral CB1 receptors (CB1Rs) have been shown to effectively alleviate multiple chronic pain conditions with limited side effects.

Cannabinoid extracts may have anticancer properties, which can improve cancer treatment outcomes. The aim of this review is to determine the potentially utility of cannabinoids in cancer treatment of pancreatic caner. A literature review focused on the biological effects of cannabinoids in cancer treatment, with a focus on pancreatic cancer, was conducted. In vitro and in vivo studies that investigated the effects of cannabinoids in pancreatic cancer were identified and potential mechanisms of action were assessed.

Cannabinoids are widely used in the management of pain, nausea and cachexia in cancer patients. However, there has been no objective clinical evidence of any anticancer activity yet. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of pharmaceutical-grade synthetic cannabidiol on a range of cancer patients.

The current treatment of glioblastoma is not sufficient, since they are heterogeneous and often resistant to chemotherapy. Earlier studies demonstrated effects of specific cannabinoid receptor (CB) agonists on the invasiveness of glioblastoma cell lines, but the exact mechanism remained unclear.

As a therapeutic agent, most people are familiar with the palliative effects of the primary psychoactive constituent of Cannabis Sativa (CS), THC, a molecule active at both the cannabinoid 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptor subtypes. Through the activation primarily of CB1 receptors in the central nervous system, THC can reduce nausea, emesis and pain in caner patients undergoing chemotherapy.

To date, there are minimal studies that have investigated these drugs in the pediatric cancer setting. Indeed, there are currently no preclinical or clinical studies examining the effects of cannabinoids in pediatric brain cancer, although there is some evidence that they can alleviate symptoms associated with childhood cancer therapy, such as vomiting and nausea.

Endo-, phyto- and synthetic cannabinoids have been proposed as promising anti-cancer agents able to impair cancer cells’ behavior without affecting their non-transformed counterparts. However, cancer outcome depends not only cancer cells’ activity, but also on the stromal cells, which coevolve with cancer cells to sustain tumor progression.