How CBD Might Do Something (Science.org)

The proliferation of cannabidiol CBD-based products on the store shelves has been impossible to miss. And I will immediately admit that I have been quite skeptical of the whole craze, since for a long time there was little or no evidence that this compound had much biological activity at all. I will also freely admit to being irritated by the hemp-for-everything cult that regards the plant as a biological miracle that’s good for anything that ails you. As a resolute non-user myself (never have, never plan to), I’m not a good customer for that worldview in general. Seeing ads that made CBD out to be a multi-pronged miracle drug made me believe even less in it having any real activity.

But this new paper is definitely worth considering. There have been reports that CBD can have real cellular effects, in particular inhibition of reactive oxygen species formation, effects on the levels of TNF-alpha, and on cytokine release in general. But the mechanisms behind these have not been very clear. The authors show here, though, that cannabidiol has several effects on lipid mediator production from fatty acids. Specifically, it seems to suppress leukotriene production via 5-lipoxygenase while setting off greater activity in the 15-lipoxygenase (and 12-lipoxygenase) pathways. In fact, it looks like CBD might be an allosteric activator of 15-lipoxygenase-1. The authors show effects consisten with these explanations both in cell assays and in a mouse model of inflammation.

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Biochemistry behind CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects points to new ways to treat inflammation (Chemistry World - Royal Society of Chemistry)

The molecular basis for the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol (CBD) has been discovered that suggests that the compound not only inhibits inflammation but also helps to resolve it. The researchers say the insights gained could lead to new therapeutic strategies for treating inflammatory diseases.

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Anti-inflammatory action of CBD elucidated (Pharmazeutische Zeitung no english version available)

Cannabis wirkt nicht nur schmerzstillend und krampflösend, sondern auch entzündungshemmend. Der zugrunde liegende Mechanismus ist aber noch unbekannt. Jetzt gibt es Hinweise darauf, dass CBD dabei eine wichtige Rolle spielt.

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This is how Cannabis acts against painful inflammation (FOCUS | Deutsche Welle (DW) (no english version available))

Die medizinische Wirksamkeit bestimmter Inhaltsstoffe der Cannabispflanze, der sogenannten Cannabinoide, wird seit Jahrzehnten intensiv erforscht. Die vielen klinischen Studien, die seither durchgeführt wurden, zeigten, dass Cannabinoide eine schmerzlindernde und krampflösende Wirkung haben. (Deutsche Welle (DW))

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In vorherigen Untersuchungen zeigte Cannabis neben seiner schmerzlindernden und krampflösenden Wirkung auch einen entzündungshemmenden Effekt. “Allerdings war der Grund für die entzündungshemmende Wirkung bislang weitgehend unklar”, sagt Dr. Paul Mike Jordan, der die Studie gemeinsam mit Prof. Dr. Oliver Werz geleitet hat.

Das Team um die beiden Pharmazeuten untersuchte, wie verschiedene Cannabinoide auf menschliche Immunzellen wirken. Darunter das für die berauschende Wirkung von Cannabis verantwortliche THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) und das in bereits heute frei erhältlichen Produkten enthaltene CBD (Cannabidiol). CBD zeigte eine besonders stark antientzündliche Wirkung.

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Hemp helps to heal (News of the FSU Jena)

While the German government is planning to relax legislation on the use of cannabis, researchers from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, together with colleagues from Italy, Austria and the USA, have identified the mode of action underlying anti-inflammatory effects demonstrated by cannabinoids. A few days ago, the federal government took the controversial decision to make the acquisition and possession of small amounts of cannabis exempt from punishment. Provided the German parliament approves the draft bill, the “Cannabis Act” will come into force next year. While some consider this move to be long overdue, others continue to warn strongly against the health risks of cannabis use.

The Jena researchers and their colleagues are now taking a different look at cannabis – at the traditional medicinal plant – with a study published in the journal “Cell Chemical Biology”. The team from the Institute of Pharmacy investigated how certain ingredients from the cannabis plant counteract inflammation. It was already known from previous studies that cannabis is not only an analgesic and an antispasmodic, but also has an anti-inflammatory effect. “However, the reason for the anti-inflammatory effect was largely unclear until now,” says Dr Paul Mike Jordan, who led the study together with Prof. Oliver Werz.

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