NEW UPDATE ON WEED AND CANCER

[leafy]

HIGH ALL, got an update on the mary jane and cancer subject this looks promising, cancer is a bitch, and it looks like out little herb friend might actually help.

 

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318526,00.html (yes I know its fox news, but still, you have to give the New World order pricks some credit for this story )

 

Certain marijuana components may suppress the tumors of highly invasive cancers, a new study finds.

 

In laboratory tests, cannabinoids, the active components in marijuana, were found to slow the spread of lung and cervical cancer tumors, according to researchers Robert Ramer and Burkhard Hinz of the University of Rostock in Germany.

 

Proponents of medical marijuana believe that cannabinoids reduce the side effects of cancer treatment, such as pain, weight loss and vomiting.

 

The study, published in the Jan. 2 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, finds that the compounds may also have an anticancer effect; however, more research is needed to determine whether the laboratory results will hold true in humans, the authors wrote.

In addition to suppressing tumor cell invasion, cannabinoids also stimulated the expression of TIMP-1, an inhibitor of a group of enzymes involved in tumor cell invasion.

To our knowledge, this is the first report of TIMP-1-dependent anti-invasive effects of cannabinoids," the authors wrote. "This signaling pathway may play an important role in the antimetastatic action of cannabinoids, whose potential therapeutic benefit in the treatment of highly invasive cancers should be addressed in clinical trials."

 

THE ACTUAL REPORT

 

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/djm268v1

 

Inhibition of Cancer Cell Invasion by Cannabinoids via Increased Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1

Robert Ramer, Burkhard Hinz

 

Affiliation of authors: Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

 

Correspondence to: Burkhard Hinz, PhD, Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Rostock, Schillingallee 70, Rostock D-18057, Germany (e-mail: burkhard.hinz@med.uni-rostock.de).

 

Background: Cannabinoids, in addition to having palliative benefits in cancer therapy, have been associated with anticarcinogenic effects. Although the antiproliferative activities of cannabinoids have been intensively investigated, little is known about their effects on tumor invasion.

 

Methods: Matrigel-coated and uncoated Boyden chambers were used to quantify invasiveness and migration, respectively, of human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells that had been treated with cannabinoids (the stable anandamide analog R(+)-methanandamide [MA] and the phytocannabinoid {Delta}9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]) in the presence or absence of antagonists of the CB1 or CB2 cannabinoid receptors or of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) or inhibitors of p38 or p42/44 mitogen–activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunoblotting were used to assess the influence of cannabinoids on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and endogenous tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs). The role of TIMP-1 in the anti-invasive action of cannabinoids was analyzed by transfecting HeLa, human cervical carcinoma (C33A), or human lung carcinoma cells (A549) cells with siRNA targeting TIMP-1. All statistical tests were two-sided.

 

Results: Without modifying migration, MA and THC caused a time- and concentration-dependent suppression of HeLa cell invasion through Matrigel that was accompanied by increased expression of TIMP-1. At the lowest concentrations tested, MA (0.1 µM) and THC (0.01 µM) led to a decrease in invasion (normalized to that observed with vehicle-treated cells) of 61.5% (95% CI = 38.7% to 84.3%, P < .001) and 68.1% (95% CI = 31.5% to 104.8%, P = .0039), respectively. The stimulation of TIMP-1 expression and suppression of cell invasion were reversed by pretreatment of cells with antagonists to CB1 or CB2 receptors, with inhibitors of MAPKs, or, in the case of MA, with an antagonist to TRPV1. Knockdown of cannabinoid-induced TIMP-1 expression by siRNA led to a reversal of the cannabinoid-elicited decrease in tumor cell invasiveness in HeLa, A549, and C33A cells.

 

Conclusion: Increased expression of TIMP-1 mediates an anti-invasive effect of cannabinoids. Cannabinoids may therefore offer a therapeutic option in the treatment of highly invasive cancers.

 

CONTEXT AND CAVEATS

 

Prior knowledge

 

Treatment with cannabinoids had been shown to reduce the invasiveness of cancer cells, but the cellular mechanisms underlying this effect were unclear.

 

Study design

 

Cancer cells treated with combinations of cannabinoids, antagonists of cannabinoid receptors, and siRNA to tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) were assessed for invasiveness, protein expression, and activation of signal transduction pathways.

 

Contribution

 

The expression of TIMP-1 was shown to be stimulated by cannabinoid receptor activation and to mediate the anti-invasive effect of cannabinoids.

 

Implications

 

Clarification of the mechanism of cannabinoid action may help investigators to explore their therapeutic benefit.

 

Limitations

 

The relevance of the findings to the behavior of tumor cells in vivo remains to be determined.

 

 

 

Yes I have alot of trouble understanding this myself, I am not a cancer specialist.

[leafy]

What was that.... Oh so cannabis can slow down and cause cancer? MAKE UP YOUR F#CKING MIND AUSTRALIAN DOCTORS!

how can something cause and stop/slow down cancer? Something doesn't make sense here!

[freddie]

This would go some way to explaining why cannabis smokers do not seem to get lung cancer.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,196678,00.html

[Pam]

Wouldn't it be amazing if pot wound up to be the cure for cancer?

That would certainly explain why they fight so hard to keep it illegal.

[iamnotacop]

^^^ I remember reading that this was believed in the 70's(?) and Nixon stopped any further research. Maybe I am mistaken, or it was an unreliable source, but I kind of believe it is possible.

 

My thoughts are the fact that people spin it with tobacco are the main reasons for cannabis users getting cancer.

 

Also Vaporizers should be subsidised to get people vaping rather than smoking, kind of like needle exchange services to combat health concerns.

 

Ahh, in a perfect world.

[leafy]

Well, if pot can cure cancer, maybe it could be one of the trichromes, or however you spell it. Possibly if it were used in the correct way we could see a stop to Cancer. If pot was legal yeah sure it would be great, but then there's the tobacco companies who would do everything in their power to control it. The Government doesn't want to be held accountable for that.

 

The laws in Australia are softening up slowly, give it time, and eventually the government will de-criminalise it, but not legalise. it. As much as it would be good to see an end to it being against the law, we still have to accept the fact that there has to be tight control when it comes to minors, and not to mention mental illness.

 

MJ may not cause mental illness but it can trigger any pre-existing conditions, and even worsen them.

 

In a medical opinion, let cancer patients get smashed off their tits on weed, they deserve it.

[Pam]

Not the trichomes. Those are the resin glands, and are where the THC is. I think it's some of the other compounds that are responsible. Not sure though

In laboratory tests, cannabinoids, the active components in marijuana, were found to slow the spread of lung and cervical cancer tumors, according to researchers Robert Ramer and Burkhard Hinz of the University of Rostock in Germany.

Edited December 30, 2007 by Granny

[leafy]

Lets hope we can get more research done on it here, its important for all the bald chicks who cant get a date *joke*.

 

I know in the states it would be pretty restricted. But there is a hope Canada, forget holland, they are way to fucked to do anything right now.

[roid]

i heard talk that the dosages used in these tests was well beyond any amount you could injest by smoking. So it might not be proof that taking cannabis (in sane doses) prevents cancer.

 

Anyway treat what i've just said here as rumour until you see something to back it up - as i can't remember where i heard it.

[leafy]

If anyone spots anymore information on this topic I would love to know. It interests me alot, since there are so many reports about how carcinogenic Pot is, but a chemical within it can actually stop cancer, but not only that pot smokers have a lower rate of caner/ and lung cancer than tobacco smokers.

 

mm this is a very interesting topic. I HOPE THERE ARE SCIENTISTS READING THIS

[DrDee]

Leafy and group,

That initial study you posted had the statement at the end that this showed promise and in vivo experiments should be considered. I remembered that phrase from biology class. It means in a living setting (the human body) implying that that study was done totally in a laborotory setting. (In vitro) Roid, you could be right on the dosage issues but that doesn't mean that clinically the study is meaningless. Just means that more study is needed.

 

I read another similar article stating that CBDs showed promise in preventing the spread of breast cancer in women. It won't halt or cure the initial tumor but shows promise in slowing down or halting the metastasis (spread) of the cancer.

 

This is all very good but, whether it will effect legalization is a different issue. Penicillin isn't made out of mold cultures now. It's made in the laboratory. Probably, if CBDs are needed in large quantities, they won't be growing out any Afghan marijuana, they'll just find a way to synthesize it.

 

Just some idle pondering...

Dee