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Is it the Ideal Time to Start Prescribing Cannabis Derivatives to Treat Endometriosis-associated Pain?

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Endometriosis affects 5%-10% of women of reproductive age and is often associated with painful symptoms like dysmenorrhea, dyschezia, dyspareunia, and even non cyclical pain. The disease is diagnosed in at least 20% of women with dysmenorrhea and/or non-menstrual pelvic pain, reaching a prevalence of 50% pain among adolescents. There is an alignment among international societies3,4 that the pre- sumed diagnosis of this disease is enough to start clinical treatment. Moreover, there seems to be a consensus that first-line treatment should be hormonal contraceptives since the efficacy is similar to that of surgery but with lower complication rates and costs. However, these drugs are
effective in only approximately two-thirds of patients, have limited long-term efficacy and may occasionally lead to undesirable side effects. Additionally, there are serious limitations in the interpretation of clinical trials.

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Anticancer properties of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and synergistic effects with gemcitabine and cisplatin in bladder cancer cell lines

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With the legalization of cannabis in multiple jurisdictions throughout the world, a larger proportion of the population consumes cannabis. Several studies have demonstrated anti-tumor effects of components present in cannabis in different models. Unfortunately, little is known about the potential anti-tumoral effects of cannabinoids in bladder cancer, and how cannabinoids could potentially synergize with chemotherapeutic agents. Our study aims to identify whether a combination of cannabinoids, like cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol with agents commonly used to treat bladder cancer, such as gemcitabine and cisplatin, is able to produce desirable synergistic effects. We also evaluated whether co-treatment of different cannabinoids also generated synergistic effects.

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Cannabis Biomolecule Effects on Cancer Cells and Cancer Stem Cells: Cytotoxic, Anti-Proliferative, and Anti-Migratory Activities

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Cancer is a complex family of diseases affecting millions of people worldwide. Gliomas are primary brain tumors that account for ~80% of all malignant brain tumors. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common, invasive, and lethal subtype of glioma. Therapy resistance and intra-GBM tumoral heterogeneity are promoted by subpopulations of glioma stem cells (GSCs). Cannabis sativa produces hundreds of secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids, terpenes, and phytocannabinoids. Around 160 phytocannabinoids have been identified in C. sativa. Cannabis is commonly used to treat various medical conditions, and it is used in the palliative care of cancer patients. The anti-cancer properties of cannabis compounds include cytotoxic, anti-proliferative, and anti-migratory activities on cancer cells and cancer stem cells. The endocannabinoids system is widely distributed in the body, and its dysregulation is associated with different diseases, including various types of cancer. Anti-cancer activities of phytocannabinoids are mediated in glioma cells, at least partially, by the endocannabinoid receptors, triggering various cellular signaling pathways, including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway. Specific combinations of multiple phytocannabinoids act synergistically against cancer cells and may trigger different anti-cancer signaling pathways. Yet, due to scarcity of clinical trials, there remains no solid basis for the anti-cancer therapeutic potential of cannabis compounds.

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