An active compound found in the cannabis plant called tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly known as THC, has recently been found
to promote the removal of toxic clumps of amyloid beta protein in the
brain, which are thought to be precursors to Alzheimer’s disease.
These findings support the results of previous studies, which found
evidence of the protective effects of cannabinoids, including THC, on
patients with the neurodegenerative disease.
According
to senior paper author David Schubert, of the Salk Institute for
Biological Studies in California, “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.”
What Exactly Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that eventually
leads to extreme memory loss and can severely interfere with a person’s
ability to care for themselves and perform routine tasks. According to
the National Institutes of Health, it affects more than 5 million
Americans and is a leading cause of death. It is also the most common
cause of dementia. Incidence of the disease is expected to triple over
the next 50 years.
The Study
The researchers tested
the effects of THC on human neurons grown in the lab that mimic the
effects of Alzheimer’s disease within the brain. Researchers remain
unsure of what exactly causes the disease, but it’s thought to occur
from a buildup of lesions, amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles.
Amyloid plaques sit between the neurons as dense clusters of
beta-amyloid molecules, which are a sticky type of protein that can
easily clump together, and neurofibrillary tangles are caused by
defective tau proteins that clump into thick, insoluble mass inside the
neurons.
Currently, it is unclear why these lesions appear in the brain in the
first place, but there have been some studies that link inflammation of
the brain tissue to the proliferation of the plaques and
neurofibrillary tangles. Researchers hope that if they can find a way to
clear out the plaques as well as reduce brain tissue inflammation,
they will be closer to creating an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s
disease.
“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 one of the team, Antonio Currais.
“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.”
Previous Research
In 2006,
researchers at the Scripps Research Institute were able to find that
THC actually inhibits the formation of amyloid plaques by blocking the
enzyme in the brain that is responsible for producing them.
Another study out
of Australia took mice that were bred to mimic symptoms of Alzheimers
and gave them CBD from cannabis. The non-psychoactive cannabinoid
caused a drastic improvement in memory within the mice tested. Although
further study is necessary, early results are showing signs of memory
improvement, and physical results will be tested next.
“Cannabinoids are the first and only class of drugs that have ever been effective,” said Gary Wenk, a professor of neuroscience, immunology, and medical genetics at Ohio State University.
Conclusion
While this research has exciting potential for future treatments, so
far it has only been demonstrated in neurons in the lab and not on an
actual human brain. The next step for Schubert and his team will be to
observe the link between THC and reduced plaque buildup and inflammation
in a clinical trial. It is important to realize that there is hope,
however, to treating this increasingly common degenerative disease.
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