Could cannabinoids have a role to play in developing Alzheimer's cure?

Investigating medical marijuana’s potential as treatment for Alzheimer’s

A team of Salk Institute researchers conducted experiments on laboratory-produced neurons that had been grown to imitate certain elements of Alzheimer’s. They found that THC, along with other cannabinoids, facilitated the removal of amyloid beta, a chain of amino acids that are a critical component of the amyloid plaque which forms in the brains of those affected by Alzheimer’s.

Antonio Currais, first author of the study, explained that the THC effectively prevented cellular inflammation, resulting in decreased amyloid beta levels, which in turn enabled nerve cells to continue to survive.

“Inflammation within the brain is a major component of the damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease, but it has always been assumed that this response was coming from immune-like cells in the brain, not the nerve cells themselves,” commented Mr Currais, as quoted by Neuroscience News.

“When we were able to identify the molecular basis of the inflammatory response to amyloid beta, it became clear that THC-like compounds that the nerve cells make themselves may be involved in protecting the cells from dying.”

Full Article: https://medicalcannabis.nz/developing-alzheimers-cure-thc-cannabinoids/

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