Marijuana May Fight Lung Tumors
Cannabis may be bad for the lungs, but the active ingredient in marijuana may help combat lung cancer, new research suggests.
In lab and mouse studies, the compound, known as THC, cut lung tumor growth in half and helped prevent the cancer from spreading, says Anju Preet, PhD, a Harvard University researcher in Boston who tested the chemical.
While a lot more work needs to be done, the results suggest THC has therapeutic potential, she tells WebMD.
Moreover, other early research suggests the cannabis compound could help fight brain, prostate, and skin cancers as well, Preet says.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The finding builds on the recent discovery of the body's own cannabinoid system, Preet says. Known as endocannabinoids, the natural cannabinoids stimulate appetite and control pain and inflammation.
THC seeks out, attaches to, and activates two specific endocannabinoids that are present in high amounts on lung cancer cells, Preet says. This revs up their natural anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation can promote the growth and spread of cancer.
In the new study, the researchers first demonstrated that THC inhibited the growth and spread of cells from two different lung cancer cell lines and from patient lung tumors. Then, they injected THC into mice that had been implanted with human lung cancer cells. After three weeks, tumors shrank by about 50 percent, compared with tumors in untreated mice.
Preet notes that animals injected with THC seem to get high, showing signs of clumsiness and getting the munchies. You would expect to see the same thing in humans, so if this work does pan out, getting the dose right is going to be all important, she says.
Paul B. Fisher, PhD, a professor of clinical pathology at Columbia University, says that though the work is interesting, it's still very early.
The issue with using a drug of this type becomes the window of
concentration that will be effective. Can you physiologically achieve what you want without causing unwanted effects, he tells WebMD.
By Charlene Laino
Reviewed by Louise Chang
?2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved
© 2007 WebMD, LLC.. All Rights Reserved. In lab and mouse studies, the compound, known as THC, cut lung tumor growth in half and helped prevent the cancer from spreading, says Anju Preet, PhD, a Harvard University researcher in Boston who tested the chemical.
While a lot more work needs to be done, the results suggest THC has therapeutic potential, she tells WebMD.
Moreover, other early research suggests the cannabis compound could help fight brain, prostate, and skin cancers as well, Preet says.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The finding builds on the recent discovery of the body's own cannabinoid system, Preet says. Known as endocannabinoids, the natural cannabinoids stimulate appetite and control pain and inflammation.
THC seeks out, attaches to, and activates two specific endocannabinoids that are present in high amounts on lung cancer cells, Preet says. This revs up their natural anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation can promote the growth and spread of cancer.
In the new study, the researchers first demonstrated that THC inhibited the growth and spread of cells from two different lung cancer cell lines and from patient lung tumors. Then, they injected THC into mice that had been implanted with human lung cancer cells. After three weeks, tumors shrank by about 50 percent, compared with tumors in untreated mice.
Preet notes that animals injected with THC seem to get high, showing signs of clumsiness and getting the munchies. You would expect to see the same thing in humans, so if this work does pan out, getting the dose right is going to be all important, she says.
Paul B. Fisher, PhD, a professor of clinical pathology at Columbia University, says that though the work is interesting, it's still very early.
The issue with using a drug of this type becomes the window of
concentration that will be effective. Can you physiologically achieve what you want without causing unwanted effects, he tells WebMD.
By Charlene Laino
Reviewed by Louise Chang
?2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved
Popular in Health
- Feet come first when it comes to body parts with most fungi
- Surgeons remove 4-pound hairball from tiger 10 Photos
- Cause of Alabama mystery illness cluster determined
- Heartburn raises throat cancer risk but antacids may help
- Airway made by 3D printer saves infant's life
- Mysterious respiratory disease infects 7 in Ala., 2 dead
- Almost all states seeing big drop in teen birth rates
- Skin cancer self-exam: What to look for (PHOTOS)
I have an odd hobby, I collect medical studies and articles on cannabis. Want to read the real thing, not some 3rd hand story about the facts? My collection is available on line here-
http://www.greenpassion.org/showthread.php?t=20828
Why not get the actual medical facts for a change, instead of rehashed propaganda dating from 1937!
Cannabis has been shown to be useful in treating cancers, MS, diabetes, high blood pressure, fibro, motion sickness, GERD, Crohn's, IBS, epilepsy, nausea, osteoporosis, spasicity, dystonia and much more! From trivia conditions like the hiccups, to deadly serious ones like breast cancer, cannabis can treat them! But DON'T believe me! Look at the studies! Educate yourself!
To give you a preview of my list, here are a few WebMD articles I pulled just to give you a taste of what's in my list-
Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer's
http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20061006/marijuana-may-slow-alzheimers
Chemicals in Marijuana May Fight MRSA
http://www.webmd.com/news/20080904/marijuana-chemicals-may-fight-mrsa
Marijuana Chemical Fights Hardened Arteries
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20050406/marijuana-chemical-fights-hardened-arteries
Marijuana Ingredients Slow Invasion by Cervical and Lung Cancer Cells
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20071226/pot-slows-cancer-in-test-tube
Marijuana's Active Ingredient Targets Deadly Brain Cancer
http://www.webmd.com/news/20000228/marijuanas-active-ingredient-targets-deadly-brain-cancer
Marijuana May Fight Lung Tumors
http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20070417/marijuana-may-fight-lung-tumors
Marijuana Ingredient May Cut Fibromyalgia Pain
http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/news/20080219/pot-drug-may-cut-fibromyalgia-pain
Cannabis May Help Multiple Sclerosis (
http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/news/20031106/cannabis-may-help-multiple-sclerosis
Pot-Based Drug Promising for Arthritis
http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20051108/pot-based-drug-promising-for-arthritis
Marijuana Smoking Doesn't Kill
http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20030918/marijuana-smoking-doesnt-kill
Those should give you an idea why I say there is no such thing as "recreational use". All cannabis use is medical, whether you realize it or not! Please educate yourself about this amazing herbal medicine! Thank you.
http://www.ukcia.org/research/AntineoplasticActivityOfCannabinoids/index.php
http://www.brainlife.org/reprint/2003/guzm%C3%A1n_m031000.pdf
http://current.com/news/politics/89889745_nontoxic-dose-of-marijuanas-active-ingredient-thc-kills-human-brain-tumor-cells-with-video-proof.htm
http://www.febsletters.org/article/PIIS0014579398010850/abstract
http://issuu.com/qnbs/docs/guzman-cancer
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/mrmc/2005/00000005/00000010/art00006
http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/308/3/838.abstract
http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/full/17/3/529
http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/anacofcanrat.html
http://mcr.aacrjournals.org/content/4/8/549.abstract
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v6/n3/fig_tab/nm0300_313_F1.html
There's nothing new about this.
as for the idea that potheads are bad, etc. Queen Victoria, the Prude with a P, smoked weed regularly for medicinal purposes.
No infidel, but you've already demonstrated your taste for propaganda. If it isn't funded by FOX news, you're not buying...