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Title : Marijuana Cuts Lung Cancer Tumor Growth In Half, Harvard Study Shows
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Marijuana Cuts Lung Cancer Tumor Growth In Half, Harvard Study Shows

The active ingredient in marijuana reduces tumor growth in common lung cancer in half and significantly reduces the ability of cancer to spread, according to researchers at Harvard University who tested the chemical in both laboratory studies and mouse.

say that this is the first series of experiments to show that the compound, Delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), inhibits growth and EGF-induced in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) migration expressing cell lines of lung cancer non-small cell. Lung cancers overexpress EGFR are that usually aggressive and highly resistant to chemotherapy.

THC cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 addresses is similar in function to endocannabinoids, which are cannabinoids that occur naturally in the body and activate these receptors. The researchers suggest that THC or other agents that activate these receptors design could be used in a specific way to treat lung cancer.

"The beauty of this study is that we are showing that a substance of abuse, if used prudently, may offer a new avenue for therapy against lung cancer," said Anju Preet, Ph.D. ., a researcher at the Division of Experimental Medicine.

Acting through cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, endocannabinoids (and THC) is believed to play a role in a variety of biological functions including pain and anxiety control, and inflammation. Although a medical derivative of THC, known as Marinol, has been approved for use as an appetite stimulant for patients with cancer, and a small number of US states allow the use of medical marijuana for treatment of the same effects side, some studies have shown that THC may have anti-tumor activity, Preet says. The only clinical trial testing THC as a treatment against cancer growth was a recent British pilot study conducted in human glioblastoma.

In the present study, the researchers showed that the first two cell lines of different lung cancer, as well as samples of lung tumors from patients express CB1 and CB2, and that non-toxic doses of THC inhibits growth and the spread of cell lines. "When cells were pretreated with THC, which have less of EGFR stimulated invasion as measured by various in vitro assays", Preet said.

Then, for three weeks, researchers injected standard doses of THC in mice that had been implanted with cells from human lung cancer, and found that tumors were reduced in size and weight by about 50 percent in treated animals compared to a control group. There was also a reduction of 60 percent in cancer lesions in the lungs in these mice, as well as a significant reduction of protein markers associated with cancer progression, said Preet.

Although researchers do not know why THC inhibits tumor growth, they say that the substance could activate molecules that stop the cell cycle. They speculate that THC may also interfere with angiogenesis and vascularization promoting cancer growth.

Preet says much work is needed to clarify the way in which the functions of THC, and warns that some animal studies have shown that THC can stimulate some cancers. "THC offers some promise, but we have a long way to go before we know what your potential is," she said.

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