Connect with us

A Moment to Remember

Scripps Study Reveals Cannabis Can Treat Alzheimer’s Disease
 

Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was discovered nearly a hundred years ago, modern medical science still knows very little about the neurological disorder that causes memory loss, dementia and death. It is estimated that by 2030 nearly 7.7 million Americans will contract AD, although doctor’s still can’t tell you how to avoid it. Almost two-thirds of the victims of AD are women.

One of

Published

on

Scripps Study Reveals Cannabis Can Treat Alzheimer’s Disease

 

Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was discovered nearly a hundred years ago, modern medical science still knows very little about the neurological disorder that causes memory loss, dementia and death. It is estimated that by 2030 nearly 7.7 million Americans will contract AD, although doctor’s still can’t tell you how to avoid it. Almost two-thirds of the victims of AD are women.

One of the few aspects of AD that is understood is that victims of the disease find their neurological faculties—such as memory—compromised largely because of the formation of beta-amyloid plaque in their brains. This plaque build-up eventually leads to fatal interference in neuron-to-neuron communication that contributes to cell death and increased negative cognitive function.

While drugs do exist that can fight this plaque build-up like donepezil and tacrine, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego have discovered that tetrahydrocannibal (THC), one of the active chemical compounds in cannabis, is far more effective at treating AD than the drugs doctors have been prescribing.

“Our results provide a mechanism whereby the THC molecule can directly impact AD pathology,” researchers conclude. “THC and its analogues may provide an improved therapeutic [option] for AD [by] . . . simultaneously treating both the symptoms and the progression of [the] disease.”

TCH fights AD because of acetylcholinesterase, a natural enzyme the body creates that prevents harmful deposits, such as beta-amyloid plaque. THC stimulates the creation of this enzyme, helping to treat and even prevent AD by decreasing plaque build-up and reducing damage to cognitive and memory functions.

“In contrast to previous studies aimed at utilizing cannabinoids in AD therapy, our results provide a mechanism whereby the THC molecule can directly impact AD pathology,” says Dr. Lisa M. Eubanks, a Scripps scientist.

“It is noteworthy that THC is a considerably more effective inhibitor . . . than the approved drugs for AD treatment, donepezil and tacrine, which reduced [protein deposits in the brain] by only 22 percent and 7 percent, respectively, at twice the concentration used in our studies,” Eubanks says. “THC and its analogues may provide an improved therapeutic for AD [by] simultaneously treating both the symptoms and progression of AD.”

Scripps is not alone in its findings. In 2007 scientists at Ireland’s Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience also found that cannabinoids could be beneficial for treating AD.

In an article published by researchers in the British Journal of Pharmacology: “Cannabinoids offer a multi-faceted approach for the treatment of AD by providing neuroprotection and reducing neuroinflammation, whilst simultaneously supporting the brain’s intrinsic repair mechanisms by augmenting neurotrophin expression and enhancing neurogenesis.” Translation: Marijuana can protect the brain, help the brain heal and potentially promote the growth of nerve cells.

The report also says that manipulation of the “cannabinoid pathway offers a pharmacological approach for the treatment of AD that may be efficacious than current treatment regimens.”

This is good news for doctors fighting AD. Dr. Susanne Sorenson, the head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society in London has said, “This is important research because it provides another piece of the jigsaw puzzle on the workings of the brain.”

Although there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s, Sorenson says such research encouraging.

“There is no cure for AD, so the identification of another target for drug development is extremely welcome.”

www.scripps.edu

 

Say No—To These Drugs!

There are drugs that can treat Alzeimer’s Disease (AD), but the side effects leave something to be desired. Donepezil (Aricept) improves AD’s symptoms but does not slow down the disease’s progression. It has been reported to cause headaches, generalized pain, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, muscle cramps, joint pain, insomnia and increased frequency of urination. More severe side effects include seizures, fainting, abnormal heart beats and stomach ulcers. Tacrine’s more serious side effects include severe stomach/abdominal pain, dark urine, yellowing of eyes/skin, black stools, abnormal looking vomit and seizures.

 

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *