Conclusion: It is likely that the
cannabinoid system, along with other
neuroimmune
systems, has a subtle but significant role in the regulation of immunity
and that this role can eventually be exploited in the management of human
disease.
Cannabinoids have been shown to act as
potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory agents and have been shown to
mediate beneficial effects in a wide range of immune-mediated diseases such as
multiple sclerosis, diabetes, septic shock,
rheumatoid
arthritis, and allergic asthma. In
this review, we will focus on apoptotic mechanisms of immunosuppression
mediated by cannabinoids on different immune cell populations and discuss how
activation of CB2 provides a novel therapeutic modality against
inflammatory and autoimmune
diseases as well as malignancies of the
immune system, without
exerting the untoward psychotropic effects.
Conclusion: The potential use of
cannabinoids as a new class of anti-inflammatory agents against a number of
inflammatory and autoimmune
diseases that are primarily triggered by activated
T lymphocytes or other cellular
immune components.
Conclusion: Medicinal cannabis is an
invaluable adjunct therapy for pain relief, nausea, anorexia, and mood
modification in cancer patients and is available as cookies or cakes, as
sublingual drops, as a vaporized mist, or for smoking.
Conclusion: Sustained ceramide accumulation
in tumor cells mediates cannabinoid-induced apoptosis, as
evidenced by in vitro and in vivo studies.
Conclusion: Direct antitumor activity of
endogenous cannabinoid anandamide together with the absence of negative effects
on T lymphocyte
functions.
Conclusion: This small, short-term,
placebo controlled trial of inhaled cannabis
demonstrated a dose dependent reduction in
diabetic peripheral
neuropathy pain in patients with treatment-refractory pain. This adds
preliminary evidence to support further research on the
efficacy of the
cannabinoids in neuropathic pain.
Conclusion: The use of cannabis was
associated with beneficial effects on some Fibromyalgia symptoms.
Conclusion: Neuropathic orofacial pain (NOP)
exists in several forms including pathologies such as burning mouth syndrome
(BMS), persistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP), trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and
postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). BMS and PIFP are classically diagnosed by
excluding other facial pain syndromes. Analgesia is one the principal
therapeutic targets of the cannabinoid system and many studies have
demonstrated the efficacy of cannabinoid compounds in the treatment of
neuropathic pain.
Conclusion: Cannabis-based medicinal
extracts used in different populations of chronic nonmalignant neuropathic pain
patients may provide effective analgesia in conditions that are refractory to
other treatments.
inflammation
Conclusion: CB2 is involved in
the THC-induced anti-inflammation in LPS-stimulated MG-63 cells, and the
anti-inflammation may be mediated by cofilin-1.
antibiotic
Conclusion: These observations suggest that
the prenyl moiety of cannabinoids serves mainly as a modulator of lipid
affinity for the olivetol core, a per se poorly active antibacterial
pharmacophore, while their high potency definitely suggests a specific, but yet
elusive, mechanism of activity.
Conclusion: Cannabinoids have been shown to
exert anti-inflammatory activities in various in vivo and in vitro experimental
models as well as ameliorate various
inflammatory degenerative diseases.
arthritis
Conclusion: This review summarizes the
promising results that have been recently obtained in support of the
therapeutic value of cannabinoids for osteoarthritis management.
Conclusion: Our data predict that the
cannabinoid receptor system present in the synovium may be an important
therapeutic target for the treatment of pain and inflammation associated with
OA and RA.
Conclusion: We discuss
the possible functions of
the endocannabinoid system in the modulation of RA, which may be a potential
target for treatment.
Conclusion: Significant analgesic effect was
observed and disease activity was significantly suppressed following Sativex
treatment.
Conclusion: CB2 offers
a molecular target for the
diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, the most prevalent degenerative
disease in developed countries.
Accumulating evidence
suggests that cannabinoids have chondroprotective effects.
Apart from the above mentioned advantages of
cannabinoids in chronic pain, ECS modulation itself might be a useful strategy
for treating arthritis and the accompanying pain and inflammation. Although
endocannabinoids are not selective for the CB2 receptor, they have been proven
to diminish hyperalgesia in various arthritis animal models and prevent joint damage.
autism
Conclusion: Our data thus suggest that
neuroligin-3 is specifically required for tonic endocannabinoid signaling,
raising the possibility that alterations in endocannabinoid signaling may
contribute to autism pathophysiology.
Conclusion: These studies support a link
between cellular immune dysregulation and ASD-related behavioral deficits in a
mouse model of an autism risk factor.
dermatitis
Conclusion: The newly discovered
endocannabinoid system (ECS; comprising the endogenous lipid mediators
endocannabinoids present in virtually all tissues, their G-protein-coupled
cannabinoid receptors, biosynthetic pathways and metabolizing enzymes) has been
implicated in multiple regulatory functions both in health and disease. It
seems that the main physiological function of the cutaneous ECS is to
constitutively control the proper and well-balanced proliferation,
differentiation and survival, as well as immune competence and/or
tolerance, of skin cells.
Pathological alterations in the activity of the fine-tuned cutaneous ECS might
promote or lead to the development of certain skin diseases.
Conclusion: This has important implications
for the future development of strategies to harness cannabinoids for the
treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.
herpes
Conclusion: THC specifically targets viral
and/or cellular mechanisms required for replication and possibly shared by
these gamma herpesviruses, and the endocannabinoid system is possibly involved
in regulating gamma herpesvirus latency and lytic replication.
Conclusion: Small concentrations of THC were
more potent and selective against gamma herpes viruses than the commonly used
antiviral drugs acyclovir, gancicyclovir and foscamet.
malaria
Conclusion: Cerebral malaria (CM) is a
severe complication resulting from Plasmodium falciparum infection that might
cause permanent
neurological deficits. Our results indicate that CBD exhibits
neuroprotective effects in CM model and might be useful as an adjunctive
therapy to prevent
neurological
symptoms following this disease.
HIV
Conclusion: Smoked cannabis was well
tolerated and effectively relieved chronic neuropathic pain from
HIV-associated sensory neuropathy. The findings are comparable to oral
drugs used for chronic neuropathic pain.
Conclusion: These results indicate that
cannabinoid-mediated inhibition of BV-2 microglial-like cell migration to Tat
is linked functionally to the CB2R. Furthermore, the results indicate that
activation of the CB2R leads to altered expression and compartmentation of the
ß-chemokine receptor CCR-3.
Conclusion: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is
a complex structure that is composed of cellular elements and an extracellular
matrix (ECM). HIV-1 Tat promotes transmigration of monocytes across this
barrier, a process that includes interaction with
ECM proteins. The
results indicate that cannabinoids that activate the CB2R inhibit the ECM
adhesion process. Thus, this receptor has potential to serve as a therapeutic
agent for ablating neuroinflammation associated with HIV-elicited influx of
monocytes across the BBB. |
