The active molecule in cannabis is able to infiltrate the central nervous system, where most molecules cannot go. This could be used in the treatment of diseases such as schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s.
Treating central nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer’s or schizophrenia with cannabis: researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid are currently working on this therapeutic avenue. In the review Molecular Pharmaceuticals, they publish the results of their work on the interest of cannabidiol to distribute drugs in the brain.
Capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier
The central nervous system is protected by the blood-brain barrier: a layer of tightly bound cells that line the capillaries. It prevents unwanted substances from passing from the blood to the brain, but allows amino acids, glucose and certain neurotransmitters, including cannabidiol, to pass. This non-psychoactive substance poses no risk of overdose and is generally well tolerated.
A Trojan horse in the brain
Spanish researchers have tested the ability of cannabidiol to transport molecules capable of treating certain diseases of the nervous system. The method of action used by researchers resembles that of a Trojan horse. They placed cannabidiol on the surface of nanocapsules, which could contain a drug. The scientists filled them with a fluorescent liquid to be able to follow their movements in the brain.
Then, they injected them into mice: cannabidiol allowed 2.5 times more nanocapsules to penetrate into the brain, compared to nanocapsules that are not covered with it. The team tested these effects on human cells that mimic the action of the blood-brain barrier: here too, cannabidiol allows more nanocapscules to pass.
Cannabidiol: multiple virtues?
At the end of 2017, researchers had already proven the interest of cannabidiol in the treatment of schizophrenia. After six weeks, the molecule reduced the number of hallucinations and improved cognitive performance. However, all of these results need to be confirmed by larger studies.
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