Saturday Nov 19, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- Cannabinoids particularly Cannabidiol found in Cannabis Sativa Linnaeus may be used to treat prostate cancer, according to a study published in Pharmacology & Pharmacy.
U.S. federal law prohibits use of cannabis partly because of its psychotropic activity while 24 states plus District of Columbia allows it to be used for medical purpose. Cannabis is commonly used to relieve pain in patients with terminal diseases like cancer and AIDS and to treat nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.
Studies have indicated cannabidiol which does not have any psychotropic activity may have a therapeutic effect against a number of malignancies including prostate cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and pancreatic cancer.
The current study tested cannabidiol in three human prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP, DU145, PC3 to see how it at low or high doses affect the cancer cell behaviors. The study found cannabidiol rendered an inhibitive activity against cancer cell growth but not so much against healthy cells.
Human prostate cancer cells often have high levels of cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), prostate specific antigen (PSA). And the study showed that exposed to cannabidiol, these biomarkers were down-regulated, meaning that it helped prostate cancer.
Cannabis extracts with high cannabidiol were found cytotoxic to androgen responsive prostate cancer cells and may inhibit spheroid formation in cancer stem cells, according to the study report. This may contribute the anticancer property of cannabidiol against prostate cancer. (David Liu)
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