Highlights •The endocannabinoid system may play a dual role on the regulation of tumor generation and progression. •Administration of THC and other cannabinoids exert anticancer actions in animal models of cancer.   •THC and other cannabinoid receptor-ligands induce cancer cell death and inhibit tumor angiogenesis.   •Cannabinoids enhance the anticancer activity of other antineoplastic agents in animal models of cancer.   •Cannabinoids are currently being tested as anticancer agents in phase I/II clinical studies. Abstract   It is well-established that cannabinoids exert palliative effects on some cancer-associated symptoms. In addition evidences obtained during the last fifteen years support that these compounds can reduce tumor growth in...

Cancer is one of the most common reported conditions for using medical cannabis. This review can be useful to practitioners and policy makers when making decisions on use for cancer patients and cannabis in the future. Insufficient management of cancer-associated chronic and neuropathic pain adversely affects patient quality of life. Patients who do not respond well to opioid analgesics, or have severe side effects from the use of traditional analgesics are in need of alternative therapeutic options. Anecdotal evidence suggests that medical cannabis has potential to effectively manage pain in this patient population. This review presents a selection of representative clinical studies, from small...

It is well-established that cannabinoids exert palliative effects on some cancer-associated symptoms. In addition evidences obtained during the last fifteen years support that these compounds can reduce tumor growth in animal models of cancer. Cannabinoids have been shown to activate an ER-stress related pathway that leads to the stimulation of autophagy-mediated cancer cell death. In addition, cannabinoids inhibit tumor angiogenesis and decrease cancer cell migration. The mechanisms of resistance to cannabinoid anticancer action as well as the possible strategies to develop cannabinoid-based combinational therapies to fight cancer have also started to be explored. In this review we will summarize these observations (that have already...

D9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exhibits antitumor effects on various cancer cell types, but its use in chemotherapy is limited by its psychotropic activity. We investigated the antitumor activities of other plant cannabinoids, i.e., cannabidiol, cannabigerol, cannabichromene, cannabidiol acid and THC acid, and assessed whether there is any advantage in using Cannabis extracts (enriched in either cannabidiol or THC) over pure cannabinoids. Results obtained in a panel of tumor cell lines clearly indicate that, of the five natural compounds tested, cannabidiol is the most potent inhibitor of cancer cell growth (IC50 between 6.0 and 10.6 M), with significantly lower potency in noncancer cells. The cannabidiol-rich extract...

According to the World Health Organization, the cases of death caused by cancer will have been doubled until the year 2030. By 2010, cancer is expected to be the number one cause of death. Therefore, it is necessary to explore novel approaches for the treatment of cancer. Over past years, the antitumorigenic effects of cannabinoids have emerged as an exciting field in cancer research. Apart from their proapoptotic and antiproliferative action, recent research has shown that cannabinoids may likewise affect tumor cell angiogenesis, migration, invasion, adhesion, and metastasization. This review will summarize the data concerning the influence of cannabinoids on these locomotive processes beyond...

The cannabinoid 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptor agonist Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been shown to be a broad-range inhibitor of cancer in culture and in vivo, and is currently being used in a clinical trial for the treatment of glioblastoma. It has been suggested that other plant-derived cannabinoids, which do not interact efficiently with CB1 and CB2 receptors, can modulate the actions of Δ9 -THC. There are conflicting reports, however, as to what extent other cannabinoids can modulate Δ9 -THC activity, and most importantly, it is not clear whether other cannabinoid compounds can either potentiate or inhibit the actions of Δ9 -THC....

Objectives The endocannabinoid system is an endogenous lipid signalling network comprising arachidonic-acid-derived ligands, cannabinoid (CB) receptors, transporters and endocannabinoid degrading enzymes. The CB1 receptor is predominantly expressed in neurons but is also co-expressed with the CB2 receptor in peripheral tissues. In recent years, CB receptor ligands, including D 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol, have been proposed as potential anticancer agents. Key findings This review critically discusses the pharmacology of CB receptor activation as a novel therapeutic anticancer strategy in terms of ligand selectivity, tissue specificity and potency. Intriguingly, antitumour effects mediated by cannabinoids are not confined to inhibition of cancer cell proliferation; cannabinoids also reduce angiogenesis, cell...

Marijuana has been used in medicine for millennia, but it was not until 1964 that D9- tetrahydrocannabinol (D 9 -THC), its major psychoactive component, was isolated in pure form and its structure was elucidated. Shortly thereafter it was synthesized and became readily available. However, it took another decade until the first report on its antineoplastic activity appeared. In 1975, Munson discovered that cannabinoids suppress Lewis lung carcinoma cell growth. The mechanism of this action was shown to be inhibition of DNA synthesis. Antiproliferative action on some other cancer cells was also found. In spite of the promising results from these early studies, further investigations...

2-AG, 2-arachidonoylglycerol; 2-LG, 2-linoleoyl-glycerol; AA-5-HT, arachidonoyl-serotonin; AEA, anandamide or N-arachidonoyl-ethanolamine; Ang-2, angiopoietin-2; AR, androgen receptor; BRCA, breast cancer associated antigen; CB, cannabinoid receptor; CBD, cannabidiol; COX2, cyclooxygenase-2; CRC, colorectal cancer cells; CYP1A1, carcinogen-metabolizing enzyme; EGF, epidermal growth factor; EGF-R, epidermal growth factor receptor; FAAH, fatty acid amide hydrolase; HBCC, human breast cancer cell; HUVEC, human umbilical vein endothelial cells; MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase; MET, R-( þ )-methanandamide; Met-F-AEA, metfluoro-anandamide; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase-2; MPTK-6, rat thyroid carcinoma lung metastasis cells; OEA, N-oleoylethanolamine; PEA, N-palmitoylethanolamine; PG-EAs, prostaglandin-ethanolamides; PI3K, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; PIGF, placental growth factor; PKA, phospho-kinase A; PKC, phospho-kinase C; PSA, prostatic-specific antigen; SEA, N-stearoylethanolamine; SR141716A,...

The pharmacological importance of cannabinoids has been in study for several years. Cannabinoids comprise of (a) the active compounds of the Cannabis sativa plant, (b) endogenous as well as (c) synthetic cannabinoids. Though cannabinoids are clinically used for anti-palliative effects, recent studies open a promising possibility as anti-cancer agents. They have been shown to possess anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic effects in vitro as well as in vivo in different cancer models. Cannabinoids regulate key cell signaling pathways that are involved in cell survival, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis, etc. There is more focus on CB1 and CB2, the two cannabinoid receptors which are activated by most of...