CANNABIS EXTRACT CAN HAVE DRAMATIC EFFECT ON BRAIN CANCER
Experts have shown
that when certain parts of cannabis are used to treat cancer tumours alongside
radio therapy treatment the growths can virtually disappear.
The new research by
specialists at St George's, University of London, studied the treatment of
brain cancer tumours in the laboratory and discovered that the most effective
treatment was to combine active chemical components of the cannabis plant which
are called cannabinoids.
Two of these called
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) were tested as part of the
research into brain cancer which is particularly difficult to treat and claims
the lives of about 5,200 each year. It also has a particularly poor prognosis as
the rate of survival after five years of patients' diagnosis is around 10%.
Cannabinoids are the
active chemicals in cannabis and are also known more specifically as
phytocannabinoids. There are 85 known cannabinoids in the cannabis plant.
The new research is
the first to show a drastic effect when combining THC and CBD with irradiation.
Tumours growing in the brains of mice were drastically slowed down when THC/CBD
was used with irradiation.
Dr Wai Liu, Senior
Research Fellow and lead researcher on the project, said: "The results are
extremely exciting. The tumours were treated in a variety of ways, either with
no treatment, the cannabinoids alone, and irradiation alone or with both the
cannabinoids and irradiation at the same time.
"Those treated
with both irradiation and the cannabinoids saw the most beneficial results and
a drastic reduction in size. In some cases, the tumours effectively disappeared
in the animals. This augurs well for further research in humans in the future.
At the moment this is a mostly fatal disease.
"The benefits of
the cannabis plant elements were known before but the drastic reduction of
brain cancers if used with irradiation is something new and may well prove
promising for patients who are in gravely serious situations with such cancers
in the future."
The research team are
discussing the possibility of combining cannabinoids with irradiation in a
human clinical trial.
The research has been
published in the Molecular Cancer Therapeutics journal.
Cannabinoids are the
active chemicals in cannabis and are also known more specifically as
phytocannabinoids. There are 85 known cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. The
primary psychoactive component of cannabis is called tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC).
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