Cannabinoids can inhibit tumor cell growth in highly invasive cancers

Cannabinoids can inhibit tumor cell growth in highly invasive cancers

By ANI
Wednesday December 26, 02:25 PM

Washington, Dec 26 (ANI): A new study has found that Cannabinoids, the
active components in marijuana, may aid in inhibiting tumor cell
growth in highly invasive cancers.

Although, Cannabinoids are used in reducing the side effects of cancer
treatment, such as pain, weight loss, and vomiting, evidences indicate
that they might even help in suppressing tumor invasion.

The cellular mechanisms behind this process are still not known.

Robert Ramer, Ph.D., and Burkhard Hinz, Ph.D., of the University of
Rostock in Germany investigated whether and by what mechanism
cannabinoids hold back tumor cell invasion.

It was found that Cannabinoids did suppress tumor cell invasion and
stimulated TIMP-1 expression.

TIMP-1 is an inhibitor of a group of enzymes involved in tumor cell invasion.

"To our knowledge, this is the first report of TIMP-1-dependent
anti-invasive effects of cannabinoids," the authors said.

They added: "This signaling pathway may play an important role in the
antimetastatic action of cannabinoids, whose potential therapeutic
benefit in the treatment of highly invasive cancers should be
addressed in clinical trials."

The study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (ANI)

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