Heterogeneity in hormone-dependent breast cancer and therapy: Steroid hormones, HER2, melanoma antigens, and cannabinoid receptors

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Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of death by cancer among women worldwide. The prognosis of the disease and patients’ response to different types of therapies varies in different subgroups of this heterogeneous disease. The subgroups are based on histological and molecular characteristics of the tumor, especially the expression of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Hormone-dependent breast cancer, determined predominantly by the presence of ER, is the most common type of breast cancer. Patients with hormone-dependent breast cancer have an available targeted therapy, however, tumor cells can develop resistance to the therapy, which is a major obstacle limiting the success of treatment and enabling relapse to metastatic disease. …

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Impact of Low-Dose Dronabinol Therapy on Cognitive Function in Cancer Patients Receiving Palliative Care: A Case-Series Intervention Study

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Among treatments for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), cannabinoid-based medicines (CBMs) have become extremely popular. Evidence remains modest and limited primarily to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for neuropathic pain; nevertheless, the use of various CBMs, including cannabidiol (CBD) to treat neuropathic, nociceptive, and mixed pain has increased globally. This observational case-series assessed the impact of CBMs as a complementary treatment by pain mechanism and cannabinoid profile over three months.

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Effects of concomitant use of THC and irinotecan on tumour growth and biochemical markers in a syngeneic mouse model of colon cancer

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Clinical treatment with the antineoplastic drug irinotecan (IRI) is often hindered by side effects that significantly reduce the quality of life of treated patients. Due to the growing public support for products with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), even though relevant scientific literature does not provide clear evidence of their high antitumour potential, some cancer patients take unregistered preparations containing up to 80 % THC. This study was conducted on a syngeneic colorectal cancer mouse model to test the efficiency and safety of concomitant treatment with IRI and THC. Male BALB/c mice subcutaneously injected with CT26 cells were receiving 60 mg/kg of IRI intraperitoneally on day 1 and 5 of treatment and/or 7 mg/kg of THC by gavage a day for 7 days. Treatment responses were evaluated based on changes in body, brain, and liver weight, tumour growth, blood cholinesterase activity, and oxidative stress parameters. Irinotecan’s systemic toxicity was evidenced by weight loss and high oxidative stress. The important finding of this study is that combining THC with IRI diminishes IRI efficiency in inhibiting tumour growth. However, further studies, focused on more subtle molecular methods in tumour tissue and analytical analysis of IRI and THC distribution in tumour-bearing mice, are needed to prove our observations.

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Decreased melanoma CSF-1 secretion by Cannabigerol treatment reprograms regulatory myeloid cells and reduces tumor progression

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During solid tumor progression, the tumor microenvironment (TME) evolves into a highly immunosuppressive milieu. Key players in the immunosuppressive environment are regulatory myeloid cells, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which are recruited and activated via tumor-secreted cytokines such as colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1). Therefore, the depletion of tumor-secreted cytokines is a leading anticancer strategy. Here, we found that CSF-1 secretion by melanoma cells is decreased following treatment with Cannabis extracts. Cannabigerol (CBG) was identified as the bioactive cannabinoid responsible for the effects.

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Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and the Quest for Correction: Blal et al. The Effect of Cannabis Plant Extracts on Cannabis-Based Personalized Therapy. Cancers 2023, 15, 497 Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and the Quest for Cannabis-Based Personalized Therapy.

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Among treatments for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), cannabinoid-based medicines (CBMs) have become extremely popular. Evidence remains modest and limited primarily to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for neuropathic pain; nevertheless, the use of various CBMs, including cannabidiol (CBD) to treat neuropathic, nociceptive, and mixed pain has increased globally. This observational case-series assessed the impact of CBMs as a complementary treatment by pain mechanism and cannabinoid profile over three months.

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Cannabinoid-based medicines in clinical care of chronic non-cancer pain: an analysis of pain mechanism and cannabinoid profile

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Among treatments for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), cannabinoid-based medicines (CBMs) have become extremely popular. Evidence remains modest and limited primarily to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for neuropathic pain; nevertheless, the use of various CBMs, including cannabidiol (CBD) to treat neuropathic, nociceptive, and mixed pain has increased globally. This observational case-series assessed the impact of CBMs as a complementary treatment by pain mechanism and cannabinoid profile over three months.

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Cannabinoid receptor 2 expression in early-stage non-small cell lung cancers identifies patients with good prognosis and longer survival

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Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death with a 5-year survival of only 21%. Reliable prognostic and/or predictive biomarkers are needed to improve NSCLC patient stratification, particularly in curative disease stages. Since the endogenous cannabinoid system is involved in both carcinogenesis and anticancer immune defense, we hypothesized that tumor tissue expression of cannabinoid 1 and 2 receptors (CB1 and CB2) may affect survival.

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Cannabigerolic Acid (CBGA) Inhibits the TRPM7 Ion Channel Through its Kinase Domain

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Cannabinoids are a major class of compounds produced by the plant Cannabis sativa. Previous work has demonstrated that the main cannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can have some beneficial effects on pain, inflammation, epilepsy, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. While CBD and THC represent the two major plant cannabinoids, some hemp varieties with enzymatic deficiencies produce mainly cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). We recently reported that CBGA has a potent inhibitory effect on both Store-Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE) via inhibition of Calcium Release-Activated Calcium (CRAC) channels as well as currents carried by the channel-kinase TRPM7. Importantly, CBGA prevented kidney damage and suppressed mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines through inhibition of these mechanisms in an acute nephropathic mouse model. In the present study, we investigate the most common major and minor cannabinoids to determine their potential efficacy on TRPM7 channel function. We find that approximately half of the tested cannabinoids suppress TRPM7 currents to some degree, with CBGA having the strongest inhibitory effect on TRPM7. We determined that the CBGA-mediated inhibition of TRPM7 requires a functional kinase domain, is sensitized by both intracellular Mg⋅ATP and free Mg2+ and reduced by increases in intracellular Ca2+. Finally, we demonstrate that CBGA inhibits native TRPM7 channels in a B lymphocyte cell line. In conclusion, we demonstrate that CBGA is the most potent cannabinoid in suppressing TRPM7 activity and possesses therapeutic potential for diseases in which TRPM7 is known to play an important role such as cancer, stroke, and kidney disease.

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Marijuana Use May Be Associated with Reduced Prevalence of Prostate Cancer: A National Survey on Drug Use and Health Study from United States of America

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Authors Turab Mohammed,, James Yu, Yong Qiao,Eric Mortensen, Helen Swede, Zhao Wu,Jingsong Zhang, Silvia Di Agostino Published May 12,  2024 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12051008 Citations Mohammed, T., Yu, J., Qiao, Y., Kim,…

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Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol for Pain Treatment—An Update on the Evidence

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In light of the current International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) guidelines, the topic of cannabinoids in relation to pain remains controversial, with insufficient research presently available. Cannabinoids are an attractive pain management option due to their synergistic effects when administered with opioids, thereby also limiting the extent of respiratory depression. On their own, however, cannabinoids have been shown to have the potential to relieve specific subtypes of chronic pain in adults, although controversies remain. Among these subtypes are neuropathic, musculoskeletal, cancer, and geriatric pain. Another interesting feature is their effectiveness in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Analgesic benefits are hypothesized to extend to HIV-associated neuropathic pain, as well as to lower back pain in the elderly. The aim of this article is to provide an up-to-date review of the existing preclinical as well as clinical studies, along with relevant systematic reviews addressing the roles of various types of cannabinoids in neuropathic pain settings.

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Role of Cannabinoids in Oral Cancer

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Cannabinoids have incited scientific interest in different conditions, including malignancy, due to increased exposure to cannabis. Furthermore, cannabinoids are increasingly used to alleviate cancer-related symptoms. This review paper aims to clarify the recent findings on the relationship between cannabinoids and oral cancer, focusing on the molecular mechanisms that could link cannabinoids with oral cancer pathogenesis. In addition, we provide an overview of the current and future perspectives on the management of oral cancer patients using cannabinoid compounds. Epidemiological data on cannabis use and oral cancer development are conflicting. However, in vitro studies assessing the effects of cannabinoids on oral cancer cells have unveiled promising anti-cancer features, including apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation. Downregulation of various signaling pathways with anti-cancer effects has been identified in experimental models of oral cancer cells exposed to cannabinoids. Furthermore, in some countries, several synthetic or phytocannabinoids have been approved as medical adjuvants for the management of cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy. Cannabinoids may improve overall well-being by relieving anxiety, depression, pain, and nausea. In conclusion, the link between cannabinoid compounds and oral cancer is complex, and further research is necessary to elucidate the potential risks or their protective impact on oral cancer.

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Integrative Oncology Approaches to Supporting Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment of Solid Tumours

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The goal of this review was to examine the role and practical applications of integrative oncology strategies in supporting immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment of adult solid tumours.

Recent Findings Beyond tumour-intrinsic factors, several patient-associated factors afect ICI response, including germline genetics, systemic infammation, the gut microbiota, and diet. Current promising supportive interventions include a Mediterranean-style diet with over 20 g of fbre, regular exercise, use of live biotherapeutics, minimisation of PPI and antibiotic use, and ensuring vitamin D repletion, with many other integrative oncology approaches under study. Caution around medical cannabis use in patients on ICIs is advised due to previously documented adverse impact on overall survival, while VAE (Viscum album extract) therapy studies have not highlighted any safety concerns so far.

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