Sunday, August 8, 2010

Marijuana Compound Halts Breast Cancer Tumor Growth

Madrid, Spain: The administration of THC reduces the tumor growth of metastatic breast cancer and "might constitute a new therapeutic tool for the treatment" of cancerous tumors, according to preclinical data published online in the journal Molecular Cancer.

Investigators from Complutense University in Madrid assessed the anti-tumor potential of THC and JWH-133, a non-psychotropic CB2 receptor-selective agonist, in the treatment of ErbB2-positive breast tumors – a highly aggressive form of breast cancer that is typically unresponsive to standard therapies.

Researchers reported, "[B]oth Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ... and JWH-133 ...reduce tumor growth [and] tumor number [in mice]. ... [T]hese results provide a strong preclinical evidence for the use of cannabinoid-based therapies for the management of ErbB2-positive breast cancer."

In 2007, investigators at the California Pacific Medical Center reported that the administration of the nonpsychoactive cannabinoid CBD limited breast cancer metastasis in a manner that was superior to comparable synthesized agents.

Previous preclinical studies assessing the anticancer properties of cannabinoids have shown that they inhibit the proliferation of a wide range of cancers, including brain cancer, prostate cancer, oral cancers, lung cancer, skin cancer, pancreatic cancer, biliary tract cancers, and lymphoma.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Cannabinoids reduce ErbB2-driven breast cancer progression through Akt inhibition," is available online at: http://www.molecular-cancer.com/content/9/1/196.

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