Skip to the content
  • 719-347-5400
  • [email protected]
  • Research
    • Research Library
    • Participate
      • Long-Term CBD Study
      • Observational Research Registry
      • Women’s Veteran Study
  • Resources
    • Client Portal
      • Dosing & Administration
      • Client Education Series
      • Client F.A.Q.
        • Client Additional Questions
      • For Pets
      • Glossary
      • Locate a Healthcare Professional
      • Medical Cannabis Cards
      • Printable Resources
    • Healthcare Portal
      • Dosing & Administration
      • Join Our List of Healthcare Professionals
      • Practitioner Education
    • Events
      • Book Club
      • Virtual Support Groups
    • Merch Shop
  • Blog
    • Cannabis Education
    • Client Stories
  • About
    • Donate
    • Who We Are
    • In the News
    • Our Supporters
    • Financials
  • Contact Us
    • Call or Email
    • Request an Appointment
    • Volunteer
  • Research
    • Research Library
    • Participate
      • Long-Term CBD Study
      • Observational Research Registry
      • Women’s Veteran Study
  • Resources
    • Client Portal
      • Dosing & Administration
      • Client Education Series
      • Client F.A.Q.
        • Client Additional Questions
      • For Pets
      • Glossary
      • Locate a Healthcare Professional
      • Medical Cannabis Cards
      • Printable Resources
    • Healthcare Portal
      • Dosing & Administration
      • Join Our List of Healthcare Professionals
      • Practitioner Education
    • Events
      • Book Club
      • Virtual Support Groups
    • Merch Shop
  • Blog
    • Cannabis Education
    • Client Stories
  • About
    • Donate
    • Who We Are
    • In the News
    • Our Supporters
    • Financials
  • Contact Us
    • Call or Email
    • Request an Appointment
    • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Register
  • Login
  • Research
    • Research Library
    • Participate
      • Long-Term CBD Study
      • Observational Research Registry
      • Women’s Veteran Study
  • Resources
    • Client Portal
      • Dosing & Administration
      • Client Education Series
      • Client F.A.Q.
        • Client Additional Questions
      • For Pets
      • Glossary
      • Locate a Healthcare Professional
      • Medical Cannabis Cards
      • Printable Resources
    • Healthcare Portal
      • Dosing & Administration
      • Join Our List of Healthcare Professionals
      • Practitioner Education
    • Events
      • Book Club
      • Virtual Support Groups
    • Merch Shop
  • Blog
    • Cannabis Education
    • Client Stories
  • About
    • Donate
    • Who We Are
    • In the News
    • Our Supporters
    • Financials
  • Contact Us
    • Call or Email
    • Request an Appointment
    • Volunteer
  • Research
    • Research Library
    • Participate
      • Long-Term CBD Study
      • Observational Research Registry
      • Women’s Veteran Study
  • Resources
    • Client Portal
      • Dosing & Administration
      • Client Education Series
      • Client F.A.Q.
        • Client Additional Questions
      • For Pets
      • Glossary
      • Locate a Healthcare Professional
      • Medical Cannabis Cards
      • Printable Resources
    • Healthcare Portal
      • Dosing & Administration
      • Join Our List of Healthcare Professionals
      • Practitioner Education
    • Events
      • Book Club
      • Virtual Support Groups
    • Merch Shop
  • Blog
    • Cannabis Education
    • Client Stories
  • About
    • Donate
    • Who We Are
    • In the News
    • Our Supporters
    • Financials
  • Contact Us
    • Call or Email
    • Request an Appointment
    • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Register
  • Login

Research Library

A-Z Conditions  Participate in ORR

Cannabinoids drive Th17 cell differentiation in patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases

  • Journal : Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 18, pages764–766 (2021)
  • Publication Year : 2021
  • Authors : Konstantin Kotschenreuther, Iris Waqué, Shuaifeng Yan, Anja Meyer, Thom Haak, Julia von Tresckow, Joanna Schiller, Lydia Gloyer, Mara Dittrich-Salamon & David M. Kofler

Abstract

The legalization of cannabinoids for medical use has reinforced their emerging role as a treatment of chronic pain in patients with cancer or rheumatic diseases.1,2 In addition to their role as pain relievers, evidence obtained from animal models suggests that cannabinoids have immunosuppressive properties.3 However, a definite immunosuppressive function of cannabinoids has not yet been confirmed in clinical trials.4 We therefore analyzed the influence of the cannabis derivative cannabidiol (CBD) and the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide (AEA) on T helper type 17 (Th17) cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Interestingly, in vitro culture in the presence of CBD significantly increased Th17 cell differentiation in CD4+ T cells from the peripheral blood of patients with RA, SLE, or PsA, while Th17 cell differentiation was suppressed in healthy individuals (Fig. 1a and Supplementary Fig. S1A). In RA patients, the median Th17 cell frequency in CBD-treated cells was 6.54 ± 0.52 vs. 3.27 ± 0.23 in the vehicle control group (p < 0.0001), and in healthy controls, the frequency was 1.86 ± 0.25 in CBD-treated cells vs. 3.62 ± 0.32 in the vehicle control group (p = 0.0002). AEA showed similar effects on CD4+ T cells from patients but did not affect CD4+ T cells from healthy controls (Fig. 1a). The addition of the Th17 skewing cytokines transforming growth factor-β, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-23 further increased the Th17-inducing properties of CBD (Fig. 1b). As shown previously in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice, the production of interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α was reduced in the presence of CBD in patients with rheumatic diseases, as well as in healthy individuals (Supplementary Fig. S1B, C). During our study, some of our RA patients reported the use or planned use of CBD oil as a pain reliever. In these cases, we compared Th17 cell frequencies before and after treatment initialization and found that treatment with CBD oil for 4–8 weeks drove Th17 cell expansion in vivo (1.10 ± 0.32 before vs. 4.52 ± 1.34 after CBD treatment; Fig. 1c). Interestingly, disease activity measured by Disease Activity Score 28-joint count C reactive protein significantly increased during CBD treatment (Fig. 1d). In accordance with previous reports, this immunomodulatory effect of CBD was not mediated by the receptors CB1, CB2, or GPR55 (Supplementary Fig. S2A).5 To further assess the characteristics of the CBD-induced Th17 cells, we analyzed their gene expression profiles and discovered a CBD-mediated increase in SGK1 expression (Fig. 1e, Supplementary Fig. S2C). This is remarkable, as SGK1 is an important regulator of the reciprocal development of proinflammatory Th17 cells.6 In addition, the expression of CSF2 was decreased and the expression of AHR was increased by CBD (Fig. 1f–g and Supplementary Fig. S2B, C).

Read the Full Article

Share This:

Share on X (Twitter) Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Email
PrevPreviousA Novel Mechanism of Cannabidiol in Suppressing Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Inducing GSDME Dependent Pyroptosis
NextStudies of involvement of G-protein coupled receptor-3 in cannabidiol effects on inflammatory responses of mouse primary astrocytes and microgliaNext

Conditions:

  • Autoimmune Diseases, Immune Function

Research Information:

Research Keywords:

  • Cannabidiol (CBD)

Search the Research Library >

Follow Us:

Facebook Twitter Youtube

REGISTER WITH RoC TODAY!

Realm of Caring focuses on research, education, building community, and improving quality of life. We are an educational resource for consumers, physicians, scientists, governments and the media.
Register now
  • PO Box 15224, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
  • 719-347-5400
  • [email protected]

Copyright © 2024 / Realm of Caring Foundation, Inc

  • Privacy
  • Disclaimer

Open the following in new tabs if you:

If you are already a user: Client Login

If you are not, then register: Client Registration

Once Logged in, click below to refresh the page.