ABSTRACT: Use of marijuana during pregnancy is fairly commonplace and can be expected increase in frequency as more states legalize its recreational use. The cannabinoids present in marijuana have been shown to be immunosuppressive, yet the effect of prenatal exposure to cannabinoids on the immune system of the developing fetus, its long term consequences during adult stage ... Continue Reading
Immunosuppression
STUDY: Autoimmune Disease – Do Cannabinoids have a therapeutic role in transplantation?
ABSTRACT: Cannabinoids have emerged as powerful drug candidates for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases due to their immunosuppressive properties. While significant clinical and experimental data on the use of cannabinoids as anti-inflammatory agents exist in many autoimmune disease settings, virtually no studies have been performed on their potential role ... Continue Reading
STUDY: Current status and challenges of cytokine pharmacology
ABSTRACT: The major concern of pharmacology about cytokines has originated from plentiful data showing association between gross changes in their production and pathophysiological processes. Despite the enigmatic role of cytokines in diseases, a number of them have become a subject of cytokine and anti-cytokine immunotherapies. Production of cytokines can be influenced by ... Continue Reading
STUDY : Cannabinoid-induced apoptosis in immune cells as a pathway to immunosuppression
ABSTRACT: Cannabinoids are a group of compounds present in Cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa L.). They mediate their physiological and behavioral effects by activating specific cannabinoid receptors. With the recent discovery of the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) and the endocannabinoid system, research in this field has expanded exponentially. Cannabinoids have been ... Continue Reading
STUDY: Inhibition of an equilibrative nucleoside transporter by cannabidiol: A mechanism of cannabinoid immunosuppression
ABSTRACT: The plant-derived cannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) both have immunosuppressive effects; although some effects of THC are mediated by the CB2 receptor, CB2 binds CBD weakly. In examining the effects of THC and CBD on microglial proliferation, we found that these compounds potently inhibit [3H]thymidine incorporation into a murine ... Continue Reading