on PinterestCannabis derivatives may lead to new treatments for ovarian cancer.
on PinterestCannabis derivatives may lead to new treatments for ovarian cancer. Image Credit: Bloomberg Creative Photos/Getty Images
- Early lab research shows that two cannabis compounds, THC and CBD, have potent anti-ovarian cancer properties.
- The study found that CBD and THC work synergistically, reducing cancer cell growth, spread, and survival in multiple ways.
- The findings could one day pave the way for new adjunct therapies that support both treatment effectiveness and patient quality of life.
Two compounds found in cannabis show potent anti-tumor effects when exposed to ovarian cancer cells, suggesting they could play a role in future therapeutic research.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the two most widely studied compounds found in cannabis. THC is the primary psychoactive compound, while CBD is a non-intoxicating compound.
Cannabis is used therapeutically for conditions ranging from nausea to chronic pain. Both THC and CBD belong to a class of compounds known as cannabinoids, which work on the body’s endocannabinoid system.
Cancer treatment is one of the most active areas of research for CBD, THC, and cannabis more broadly.
These compounds are powerful antiemetics, particularly useful for easing chemotherapy-induced nausea. They have also demonstrated promising anticancer effects in laboratory studies across several cancer types, including brain, breast, lung, and prostate.
One noticeable gap in research has been studies focused on gynecologic cancers, including ovarian cancer.
However, new laboratory research, published in Frontiers, is beginning to address that gap and may help lay the groundwork for future therapies.
Researchers found that, as in other laboratory cancer models, CBD and THC killed ovarian cancer cells and slowed markers of tumor growth.
“Our findings are generally consistent with existing literature showing that CBD and THC can act as potential adjuncts to cancer therapy,” said Siyao Tong, MD, an attending obstetrician and gynecologist at First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, China, and first author of the study.
“Both CBD and THC demonstrated clear inhibitory effects on ovarian cancer cells, and their combination, particularly at a 1:1 ratio, showed the strongest anticancer activity,” Tong told Healthline.
Other experts have hailed the research as a compelling step forward in the search for new cancer treatments.
“This is a field that is very much looking for new approaches,” said Elena Ratner, MD, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine, and co-chief of gynecologic oncology at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital. Ratner wasn’t involved in the research.
“This is all very early in the research, so we don’t know exactly what this will mean, but we are increasingly thinking of newer agents and newer ways of targeting cancer and understanding the biology of disease, so this absolutely has potential,” she told Healthline.
Cannabis compounds targeted cancer cells
Tong’s team conducted a variety of in vitro studies exposing ovarian cancer cells to CBD and THC in laboratory experiments.
Notably, they experimented with two different ovarian cancer cell lines — one platinum-resistant and one platinum-sensitive. Platinum sensitivity reflects how well a cancer cell responds to platinum-based chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin and carboplatin, which are standard treatments for ovarian
Узнайте больше о пересадка волос в клинике Rubenhair.
Получите бесплатную консультацию
Проконсультируйтесь с нашими специалистами о процедуре FUE, PRP-терапии или пересадке волос.
