Breakthrough Discovered in Medical Marijuana Cancer Treatment

Researchers learned that cannabinoids have been associated with anti-carcinogenic effects, which are responsible in preventing or delaying the development of cancer.

Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - A new study reveals that Medical Marijuana can be an effective treatment for cancer, that is the word announced by doctors in Germany who concluded that this clarification of the mechanism of cannabinoid action may help investigators to further explore their therapeutic benefit.

The medical article was originally published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute Advance Access and online on December 25th 2007.

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

The biggest contribution of this breakthrough discovery, is that the expression of TIMP-1 was shown to be stimulated by cannabinoid receptor activation and to mediate the anti-invasive effect of cannabinoids.

In other words, they learned that treatment with cannabinoids, one of the active ingredients of the medicinal side of marijuana, has been shown to reduce the invasiveness of cancer cells. Prior to now the cellular mechanisms underlying this effect were unclear and the relevance of the findings to the behavior of tumor cells in vivo remains to be determined.

It is already known that marijuana can stimulate the appetite of patients, but researchers have learned that cannabinoids, in addition to having palliative benefits in cancer therapy, have been associated with anti-carcinogenic effects, which are responsible in preventing or delaying the development of cancer.

"Although the anti-proliferative activities of cannabinoids have been intensively investigated, little is known about their effects on tumor invasion," the article stated.

Method

In this now completed round of research, 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 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.

A method known as 'reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction' and immunoblotting were used to assess the influence of cannabinoids on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and endogenous tissue inhibitors. The role of TIMP-1 in the anti-invasive action of cannabinoids was analyzed by transfecting HeLa, human cervical carcinoma, or human lung carcinoma cells cells with siRNA targeting TIMP-1.

They say 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 and THC led to a decrease in cell invasion.

"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."

The researchers concluded that increased expression of TIMP-1 mediates an anti-invasive effect of cannabinoids. That means that in our future, cannabinoids may offer a therapeutic option in the treatment of highly invasive cancers.

Special thanks to the JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, and to Burkhard Hinz, PhD, Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Rostock and the affiliation of authors: Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Rostock in Rostock, Germany.

The original report published by Oxford University Press was titled, "Inhibition of Cancer Cell Invasion by Cannabinoids via Increased Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1Robert Ramer, Burkhard Hinz."

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MarijuanaCuresCancer.net All the info you will ever need about medical marijuana and cancer.

"it's not a drug, it's a leaf!" -Governator Schwarzneggar

This is so sad for I care for so many dying patients of not just Cancer but many other illness and I know for a fact marijuana is a medicine not a "Drug" like the government so much portrays. We need to act and make this medicine available to all patients in need!!!!

i love all you positive thinkers who are aware of the good this herb can do for cancer like me,but i'm in IN.abad state to get help with herb?

i have cancer and pain in my gut i have no way for help in state IN,as methadone,now. My state is helpless

what ever GOD gave to us is good. We should know how to use it .PRAISE THE LORD.

i think thats its quite interesting that, it helps you... as you get stoned....SMOKE WEED

It is amazing how supposedly intelligent people (politicians) ignore the truth and do what is good for only themselves. It is wrong for these creatures to dismiss the actual evidence because that is the popular thing to do. I know the truth from experience. Marijuana has saved my eyesight no matter what any politician thinks. My ophthalmologist knows what has saved my eyesight, my senator and representative do not care since their eyesight is not at stake.

It is amazing how supposedly intelligent people (politicians) ignore the truth and do what is good for only themselves. It is wrong for these creatures to dismiss the actual evidence because that is the popular thing to do. I know the truth from experience. Marijuana has saved my eyesight no matter what any politician thinks. My ophthalmologist knows what has saved my eyesight, my senator and representative do not care since their eyesight is not at stake.

i have read the first twelve thousands year history of marijuana if yall want to read what i have heres what you need to type in marijuana:the first twelve thousand year history read it all i did and here are some other sites about marijuana and goverment facts on it glenwoodsmith.com drug policy alliance is also a good site to look at and it has the top five myths busted about marijuana i encourage everyone users and non-users alike to read all this infomation and then decide on what they really think about marijuana

The more research you do on Hemp THC, the more you will hate the government, Harry Anslinger is the one to blame for the criminalization of Marijuana, Greed and only greed was the cause and still is, thats why it will never be legal. They must find it difficult.... those who have taken authority as truth, rather then truth as authority.

No reason why marijuana should be illgeal

Keep toking, if you want to stay cancer-free. The same government that pitched you cigarettes with tax-dollar subsidies is telling you that Marijuana causes cancer -- they were wrong before, and they're wrong now. It's your life. You smoke, or you have an 11% chance of cancer. You decide.

spread the word. "google thc cancer" break prohibition's back.

Whats from the earth is of the greatest worth!

Marijuana is good for every one, in every time & Every Mood.

Cancer Cure- go to www.phoenixtears.ca you will be shocked.

im a smoker of this stuff

Exactly, I mean look at the MANY MANY herbs and other natural remedies the chinese have been using for hundreds and hundreds of years. Marijuana being one of them, and by what we are seein is becoming one of the most effective. But yet we still see this one plant, drove down into the ground with lies and deceit...it's the sad reality of this world that people would rather hide it's positive abilities and protect pharmaceutic companies, plus the many other companies that would be effected.

I've had endometrial cancer sincew age 45 (10 years ago) which spread to my lungs 6 years ago. Have had surgery radiation, 4 rounds of chemo. This gives me hope. I'm trying MJ tincture to spare my lungs. Anyone have an idea as to how much is needed to stop cancer growth?

There have been quite a few studies on marijuana relieving pain, subsiding cancer, helping people live thru very strong illnesses. The reasons for its illegal classification are so off, it is exactly like saying "Marijuana will kill you." - How off it really is heh. This plant could help America get out of its debt easily in less than 1 term of a U.S. President. That's IF they legalized it. Lord knows that won't be in my lifetime.

And people have been raised into the stereotype of Pot being a extremely harmful drug! No way man! Its all in the science in our plain view. Whoever will still deny Marijuanas benefits after reading this info are either ignorant fools or they cant grasp the info into their brains and are stubborn to look at the positive and the Truth for that matter!

go marijauana

Sad thing is, Marijuana could be used in so many medicinal forms, yet MD's would rather pump you full of highly addictive pain meds than push for federal legalization of a non-addictive, natural pain reliever! Really sad state of affairs!

This doesn't change everything, but it should spread the classification of Marijuana as a real anti-cancer medication. It really depends on how well they spin this...

and they say Marijuana is bad.Marijuana is a good plant

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