ABSTRACT: Background. Marijuana smoking is common and believed to relieve many symptoms, but daily use has been associated with liver fibrosis in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to estimate the effect of marijuana smoking on liver disease progression in a Canadian prospective multicenter cohort of human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus (HIV/HCV) coinfected ... Continue Reading
HIV
STUDY: HIV-Magnitude of stimulation dictates the cannabinoid-mediated differential T cell response to HIVgp120
ABSTRACT: Approximately 25% of immunocompromised HIV patients smoke marijuana for its putative therapeutic benefit. The goal of these studies was to test the hypothesis that marijuana-derived cannabinoids have immunomodulatory effects on HIV antigen-specific T cell effector function. A surrogate mouse model to induce polyclonal T cell responses against HIVgp120 was ... Continue Reading
STUDY: Genomic and proteomic analysis of the effects of cannabinoids on normal human astrocytes
ABSTRACT: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the main psychoactive component of marijuana, is known to dysregulate various immune responses. Cannabinoid (CB)-1 and -2 receptors are expressed mainly on cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and the immune system. The CNS is the primary target of cannabinoids and astrocytes are known to play a role in various immune ... Continue Reading