Medical Marijuana Shows Promise Against Autoimmune Diseases

[mibrains]

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/medical-marijuana-shows-promise-against-autoimmune-diseases

 

Medical Marijuana Shows Promise Against Autoimmune Diseases

June 5, 2014 | by Stephen Luntz

Photo credit: Aleks. These fields of industrial (low THC) hemp may be matched with crops grown for medical uses.

 

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) can suppress rodents' immune systems, according to a study at the University of South Carolina. If replicated in humans this could improve the prospects of using medical marijuana against autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, type1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

Despite the ceaseless ads promising that something will “boost your immune system” as an unquestioned goal, the strength of the immune response is a careful balancing act. Too weak and you are prey to a host of diseases. However, the immune system can also turn on the body itself, leading to a string of serious and sometimes fatal conditions. Finding ways to dial back the response in these cases, without opening up the floodgates to every infectious disease is one of the great challenges of modern medicine.

In the Journal of Biological Chemistry a team led by Dr Mitzi Nagarkatti reveal studies on 609 microRNAs in mice given THC. Of these, 13 showed substantial alteration. MicroRNAs regulate the expression of genes, and those affected in this case change the activation of genes associated with the immune system.

“THC mediates its activity through cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2)” the authors say. “While CB1 is highly expressed in the brain, and to a lower extent in peripheral tissues, CB2 is predominant in immune cells. Therefore, besides it psychoactive effects, THC can suppress inflammation through activation of cannabinoid receptors on immune cells, using multiple pathways.”

The team's findings leave a lot of questions unanswered. Besides the question of applicability to humans, the timeframe of the effects is unclear – some are probably temporary, while others may be more permanent. However, the authors argue, “The current study opens new avenues to investigate the epigenetic pathways through which THC regulates immune response.” If the exact mechanisms through which THC affects immune response can be identified it may become possible to establish which autoimmune diseases are most likely to benefit from its use.

While some less than credible websites are keen to promote marijuana as a universal panacea, its most widely recognized medicinal uses are in treating nausea induced by chemotherapy and weight loss from AIDS. It is more widely recommended for pain and muscle spasms, but the idea of using it to treat multiple sclerosis is not new.

The researchers also have plenty of concerns about marijuana, noting “prenatal exposure to THC causes T cell dysfunction in the offspring.” They also found disturbing signs that the BRCA2 gene may be suppressed by THC. BRCA2 is famous for its association with early onset breast cancer, but this is because the BRCA2 protein normally suppresses tumor growth, and mutated versions fail to provide this protection, allowing tumors to flourish. Consequently, it is possible that suppressing BRCA2 could increase the risk of breast cancer, in contrast to research suggesting another active component in marijuana may have benefits for breast cancer. 

Again, further research may help quantify this risk, and assist in working out when the increased dangers from marijuana use outweigh the benefits.

For those wondering, the THC was injected into the mice, rather than being supplied in the form of joints or hash cookies.

[t-pain]

article mixes human marijuana uses (pain relief / nausea) with rat marijuana studies and makes no attempt to point out that they are different. i'm really not liking this iflscience website so far.

 

 

The researchers also have plenty of concerns about marijuana, noting “prenatal exposure to THC causes T cell dysfunction in the offspring.”

 

curious which rat study they are talking about.

 

ah here it is

http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/339/2/607.short

 

This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [Grants R01-ES009098, R01-ES019313]; the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse [Grant R01-DA016545]; and the National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine [Grant P01-AT003961].

 

oh, this is THAT study.

 

our data demonstrate for the first time that perinatal exposure to THC triggers profound T cell dysfunction, thereby suggesting that the offspring of marijuana abusers who have been exposed to THC in utero may be at a higher risk of exhibiting immune dysfunction and contracting infectious diseases including HIV.

 

the study that said if you smoke marijuana you'll get aids. classic.

Edited June 6, 2014 by t-pain

[in vivo]

If it's positive it must be true. If it's negative it's obviously the man just trying to keep you down. It would be funny if it wasn't so prevelant. 

[Restorium2]

If it's positive it must be true. If it's negative it's obviously the man just trying to keep you down. It would be funny if it wasn't so prevelant.

If 'the man' trying to keep us down wasn't so prevelant your post would be funny.

[jointedone]

They would rather RX you the hideous Biologics instead. I would volunteer for a long term chronic MJ user study in a minute.But notice there aren't any?

[t-pain]

i look at each study with a skeptical eye, noting inaccuracies in scientific method and logical leaps that are unsupported by available evidence.

 

this goes for both positive and negative studies.

i'm not even sure what part of my post you have a problem with?

the parts i quoted are copied verbatim right from the abstract that i linked to. i didnt make any of that up.

 

the authors of the rat study made the leap from an immune supressent effect of marijuana to a 'higher risk of hiv infection'.

did they test thier hypothesis by giving rats marijuana and hiv infections or any infections? no? then they just made that part up?

[in vivo]

We could do the argument thing. Or we could dig deeper into some mechanisms that need elucidation and might have a direct impact on current treatments.  

 

I think sodium/calcium voltage-gated ion channels are a big deal.  Most cannabinoids inhibit these channels but in different ways. They might cause a leftward or righward shift, inhibit inward or outward flux, etc. TRPV1 also modulates these channels, likely other TRPV receptors do as well. Not sure about GPR55 or others.  I beleive that a better understanding of these mechanisms might help with epileptic treatments, but it also looks like it might shed some light on pain and others as well.

 

If you're not into that there appear to be a significant number of epileptic patients that experience problems during transitional periods between wakefulness and sleep. I'm pretty sure that there are shifts in endocannabinoids like OEA during these periods and it might be of help to identify these changes. 

 

No worries if it's not your thing. I'm just putting options out there.        

Edited June 6, 2014 by in vivo