Major HIV/AIDS research findings on cannabis

Major HIV/AIDS research findings on cannabis
The Lab Bench
By Jahan Marcu*
Promising research demonstrates that cannabis could be used for neuropathic pain, inhibiting HIV replication, and fighting drug-resistant bacterial infections.

Two clinical studies on smoked cannabis for HIV neuropathy

A study published by a research team at UC Davis Medical Center [1] was conducted as a double blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of 38 patients with HIV neuropathic pain. The Participants smoked medicine with a THC content of seven percent or 3.5 percent. They were scheduled for three 6-hour sessions, which were separated by at least 3 days. Their pain was significantly alleviated and the side effects were well tolerated.

Another study was conducted and published by researchers at UC San Diego [2]. This study began with 34 patients who were not responsive to other pain medication. Over the course of the study, participants received both real and placebo cigarettes. The THC content ranged from one to eight percent and was smoked four times daily for five days. Treatment phases were interrupted by two weeks of no medication. The patients continued to use their regular pain medication during the whole study. The team found that 46 percent of the 28 patients in the study gained pain relief of more than 30 percent. These studies follow previous research findings on the same topic (Abrams et al. 2007).

Cannabis-extract component inhibits HIV replication
Research efforts to find new HIV treatments often focus on viral particles that are essential for HIV replication. Plant-derived natural products are emerging as potent anti-HIV compounds which can interfere with viral particles. Researchers from Germany and Spain investigated cannabis tinctures and found extracts that inhibited HIV replication [3]. Denbinobin, a single compound, was demonstrated to be mostly responsible for the ability of the extract to inhibit HIV replication. Denbinobin was shown to directly interfere with a replication protein called NF-KB (NF-kappa B), which is considered a good target for HIV therapies because it contributes to a wide variety of cellular processes.

Cannabinoids kill antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria
Multi-drug resistant and extremely drug-resistant forms of bacteria have created a strong demand for new antibacterial drugs. In the US such strains are causing more deaths each year [4].

Developing a new antibacterial is very challenging. Only one has been introduced in the last 30 years. The antibacterial effects of cannabinoids have been documented for over 50 years, inspiring researchers in Italy to re-examine the effects of cannabinoids on these new and more dangerous forms of bacteria. The research team found that the five most common cannabinoids THC, CBD, CBG, CBC, and CBN had potent antibacterial effects. The authors conclude that mixtures of cannabinoids could also be used as cheap and biodegradable antibacterial agents.

* Email: cannabispodcast@gmail.com

Source notes for the above:

1. Wilsey, B., et al., ‘A randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of cannabis cigarettes in neuropathic pain.’

J Pain, 2008. 9(6): p. 506-21.

2. Ellis, R.J., et al., ‘Smoked medicinal cannabis for neuropathic pain in HIV: a randomized, crossover clinical trial.’ Neuropsychopharmacology, 2009. 34(3): p. 672-80.

3. Sanchez-Duffhues, G., et al., ‘Denbinobin, a naturally occurring 1,4-phenanthrenequinone, inhibits HIV-1 replication through an NF-kappaB-dependent pathway.’ Biochem Pharmacol, 2008. 76(10): p. 1240-50.

4. Appendino, G., et al., ‘Antibacterial cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa: a structure-activity study.’ J Nat Prod, 2008. 71(8): p. 1427-30.