Long used to treat weight loss and manage pain in people with HIV, research suggests that medical marijuana may even slow disease progression. This post from VeryWell.com takes an unbiased look at the pros and cons of cannabis use for HIV. From the earliest days of the HIV epidemic, marijuana (cannabis) has been used to treat many of the complications of disease, ranging ... Continue Reading
HIV
STUDY: Marijuana Smoking Does Not Accelerate Progression of Liver Disease in HIV–Hepatitis C Coinfection: A Longitudinal Cohort Analysis
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
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