Summary: A 2022 study demonstrates that cannabidiol (CBD) enhances the effectiveness of temozolomide (TMZ) in treating glioblastoma, an aggressive type of cancer that originates in the brain or spinal cord, potentially improving patient outcomes.
GBMS are notoriously resistant to conventional therapies, and nontoxic agents that can improve their efficacy are urgently needed. While other agents have been tested, CBD is the first agent that has been tested with TMZ that has both a low toxicity profile and high brain-blood barrier penetration.
-
CBD With TMZ Enhances Glioblastoma Survival Rates:
CBD boosts TMZ’s power to fight brain tumors with a specific genetic marker, helping patients live longer.
-
CBD Stops Brain Tumor Repair:
CBD blocks RAD51, a repair protein in these brain tumors, making them more vulnerable to TMZ treatment.
-
Advancing Brain Cancer Treatments:
There’s a pressing need for better brain tumor treatments. This study shows CBD’s potential to improve TMZ therapy, especially by targeting RAD51, suggesting more research is needed on CBD’s role in brain cancer care.
A 2022 in vivo study led by Liliana Soroceanu and Sean D. McAllister of the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, along with researchers from Launch Bioscience and Eden Medical Center Sutter Research, presents novel findings on the efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) in significantly improving the outcomes of temozolomide in the treatment of glioblastoma in female mice. This research underscores the potential of cannabidiol (CBD) as an add-on treatment to pharmaceutical cancer interventions, which could lead to more effective treatment strategies, improved patient outcomes, and higher survival rates.
Does CBD fight brain cancer?
Cannabidiol (CBD), a natural non-intoxicating compound found in cannabis that is known for its safety and clinical efficacy for treating a wide range of conditions, has emerged as a promising agent in cancer therapy. It works by selectively increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumor cells, which can cause their death and destruction and has potential in combating various cancers.
Currently, the go-to treatment for glioblastoma (GBM) is a synthetic pharmaceutical drug known as Temozolomide (TMZ), which works similarly to CBD by raising ROS levels to damage DNA. Previous studies have suggested that reducing RAD51, a key DNA repair protein, could make GBM more vulnerable to TMZ.
Significantly, this study addresses the gap in our current understanding of how CBD can modulate DNA repair mechanisms to improve the efficacy of existing GBM therapies.
The study discovered that CBD boosts TMZ's effectiveness against GBM in various lab models, including U87 MG and U251 cell lines, as well as GBM163 patient-derived cells.
The U87 MG and U251 cell lines are both human glioblastoma cell lines used in research. The U87 MG cell line was derived from a malignant glioma from a male patient and is used for neuroscience and immuno-oncology research. The U251 cell line, also derived from a malignant glioblastoma tumor, is used to study the biology of glioblastoma and test potential treatments.
The researchers demonstrated that CBD increases oxidative stress in cancer cells, activates a cellular energy switch (the AMPK pathway), and triggers autophagy (cellular death).
Importantly, CBD helped mice with certain genetic markers in their tumors live longer when treated with TMZ. However, this benefit wasn’t seen in tumors with a normal protective gene. The research also showed that CBD might make these tumors more sensitive to TMZ by shutting down a key repair gene found in tumors, suggesting a new way to tackle these cancers.
These findings underscore the potential of CBD as an adjunct therapy to improve the anti-cancer effects of TMZ in patients with GBM, particularly those with specific genetic markers like methylated MGMT. This could pave the way for more targeted and effective GBM treatments.
Read: A 1:1 CBD:THC Ratio Doubles Brain Cancer Survival Rates in a Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Where to find high-quality CBD oils.
You can find high-quality, organic CBD in several My Supply Co. formulas. All of them are organic, non-GMO, free of fillers and preservatives, and are formulated with MCT oil made from sustainably harvested coconuts.
Full Spectrum, our clinical-strength full-spectrum CBD oil, is your SPF (stress protection factor). Up to 50mg of Full Spectrum CBD oil twice daily helps reduce anxiety and alleviate the emotional, hormonal, psychological, and physical manifestations of stress.
Isolate, our clinical-grade CBD isolate oil, is your daily support for mood, focus, and mental clarity. Up to 150mg of Isolate CBD oil twice daily helps to keep you calm cool and collected.
For sleep that helps you repair and recover, night after night, you may be interested in one of our CBD-infused Sleep Solutions.
Fall and stay asleep with CBD Sleep Solution, a science-backed combination of potent herbs used for thousands of years to promote calm and ease you into restful sleep.
1:1 Sleep Solution takes CBD Sleep Solution a step further by adding THC, helping to relieve pain and inflammation and promote recovery from an active lifestyle.
Sleep fast and deep with CBN Sleep Solution, a melatonin-free alternative to 1:1 Sleep Solution that helps you optimize your healing power at night.
For a clean, minimalist blend of CBD and THC, try one of our Ratios, available in a 1 CBD : 1 THC Oil and 3 CBD : 1 THC Oil.
About this psychopharmacology research news.
Author: Sean D. McAllister
Source: Oxford Academic
Contact: Sean D. McAllister, California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute
Original Research: Open access.
“Cannabidiol Inhibits RAD51 and Sensitizes Glioblastoma to Temozolomide in Multiple Orthotopic Tumor Models" by Liliana Soroceanu and Sean McAllister et al., Neuro-Oncology Advances
Simple summary.
The research shows that CBD, a safe, non-toxic, natural compound, can make the brain cancer drug TMZ more powerful against certain types of glioblastomas (brain tumors). It does this by increasing ROS production in cancer cells, which leads to oxidative damage, and preventing them from repairing, which could kill cancer cells and help patients live longer. This finding is especially true for tumors with a specific genetic feature, offering a new direction for brain cancer treatment.
Abstract.
Background: Cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid with a low toxicity profile, has been shown to produce antitumor activity across cancers in part through selective production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumor cells. The alkylating agent, temozolomide (TMZ), is standard of care for treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). It can trigger increased ROS to induce DNA damage. It has also been reported that downregulating the expression of RAD51, an important DNA damage repair protein, leads to sensitization of GBM to TMZ.
Methods: We determined the extent to which CBD enhanced the antitumor activity of TMZ in multiple orthotopic models of GBM. In addition, we investigated the potential for CBD to enhance the antitumor activity of TMZ through production of ROS and modulation of DNA repair pathways.
Results: CBD enhanced the activity of TMZ in U87 MG and U251 GBM cell lines and in patient-derived primary GBM163 cells leading to stimulation of ROS, activation of the ROS sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and upregulation of the autophagy marker LC3A. CBD produced a sensitization of U87 and GBM163-derived intracranial (i.c.) tumors to TMZ and significantly increased survival of tumor-bearing mice. However, these effects were not observed in orthotopic models derived from GBM with intact methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) expression. We further demonstrate that CBD inhibited RAD51 expression in MGMT-methylated models of GBM, providing a potential mechanism for tumor sensitization to TMZ by CBD.
Conclusion: These data support the potential therapeutic benefits of using CBD to enhance the antitumor activity of TMZ in GBM patients.
