Fingon Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 (edited) Antitumor Effects One study in mice and rats suggested that cannabinoids may have a protective effect against the development of certain types of tumors. [3] During this 2-year study, groups of mice and rats were given various doses of THC by gavage. A dose-related decrease in the incidence of hepatic adenoma tumors and hepatocellular carcinoma was observed in the mice. Decreased incidences of benign tumors (polyps and adenomas) in other organs (mammary gland, uterus, pituitary, testis, and pancreas) were also noted in the rats. In another study, delta-9-THC, delta-8-THC, and cannabinol were found to inhibit the growth of Lewis lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo .[4] In addition, other tumors have been shown to be sensitive to cannabinoid-induced growth inhibition.[5-8] Cannabinoids may cause antitumor effects by various mechanisms, including induction of cell death, inhibition of cell growth, and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. [9-11] Cannabinoids appear to kill tumor cells but do not affect their nontransformed counterparts and may even protect them from cell death. These compounds have been shown to induce apoptosis in glioma cells in culture and induce regression of glioma tumors in mice and rats. Cannabinoids protect normal glial cells of astroglial and oligodendroglial lineages from apoptosis mediated by the CB1 receptor. [10,11] In an in vivo model using severe combined immunodeficient mice, subcutaneous tumors were generated by inoculating the animals with cells from human non-small cell lung carcinoma cell lines.[12] Tumor growth was inhibited by 60% in THC-treated mice compared with vehicle-treated control mice. Tumor specimens revealed that THC had antiangiogenic and antiproliferative effects. In addition, both plant-derived and endogenous cannabinoids have been studied for anti- inflammatory effects. A mouse study demonstrated that endogenous cannabinoid system signaling is likely to provide intrinsic protection against colonic inflammation. [13] As a result, a hypothesis that phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids may be useful in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer has been developed.[14] Another study has shown delta-9-THC is a potent and selective antiviral agent against Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus 8.[15] The researchers concluded that additional studies on cannabinoids and herpesviruses are warranted, as they may lead to the development of drugs that inhibit the reactivation of these oncogenic viruses. Subsequently, another group of investigators reported increased efficiency of KSHV infection of human dermal microvascular epithelial cells in the presence of low doses of delta-9-THC.[16] It's a shame that politics are severely hampering medical research that could possibly save millions of lives. It's schedule 1 status makes it almost impossible to be given permission to study the drug's health effects. Right now, researchers need express permission from the DEA in order to do any type of study on cannabis. Regardless of how you feel about legalization, nothing bad can happen from further study of its effects. We need to learn more, and I find it appalling that knowledge about the 2nd most used recreational drug is being kept under lock and key. The American Medical Association asked the DEA to reclassify cannabis last year, but politics and fear mongering continue to trump science when it comes to drug policy. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page4 Edited April 3, 2011 by Fingon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 It's a shame that politics are severely hampering medical research that could possibly save millions of lives. It's schedule 1 status makes it almost impossible to be given permission to study the drug's health effects. Right now, researchers need express permission from the DEA in order to do any type of study on cannabis. Regardless of how you feel about legalization, nothing bad can happen from further study of its effects. We need to learn more, and I find it appalling that knowledge about the 2nd most used recreational drug is being kept under lock and key. The American Medical Association asked the DEA to reclassify cannabis last year, but politics and fear mongering continue to trump science when it comes to drug policy. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page4 Say not to pot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 Say not to pot! Hell yeah brother! Can you pass me a beer? going out for another cig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Hell yeah brother! Can you pass me a beer? going out for another cig. Exactly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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