While there is debate about the potential health benefits of marijuana, new research has found that THC may have powerful, positive effects. Effect on the brain.
Researchers at the University of Texas (UT) San Antonio Long School of Medicine recently found that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana) may protect against the development of Alzheimer’s disease, but only when used in conjunction with an anti-inflammatory drug called celecoxib.
Celecoxib is a selective COX-2 inhibitor that is commonly prescribed for the following conditions: arthritis and pain.
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According to a press release from UT Health, THC has previously been shown to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, but it has also been associated with negative effects on the brain, particularly learning and memory.
However, combining THC with anti-inflammatory drugs may provide the same benefits with fewer negative side effects.
The study, published in the journal Aging and Disease, combined low doses of the drug. THC extract Celecoxib was administered to mice daily for 30 days.
The mice were treated before memory symptoms appeared, and the effects on preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s disease were measured.
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The results were: Improved cognitionreductions in markers of learning and memory, as well as neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease-related brain pathology, stated in the release.
THC alone had similar results, but also increased inflammatory signals, whereas co-administration did not.
“What really mattered was the behavior. If the cognition doesn’t improve, the treatment doesn’t matter. And that’s where the combination clearly worked.” THC alone” said Dr. Chu Chen, lead author of the study and professor in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology.
According to UT Health, Chen’s years of research have helped him connect the dots about how THC can manipulate the brain and why it is difficult to use it safely for neurological diseases.
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“Administering THC unexpectedly increases COX-2 in the brain. This increase is closely associated with learning and memory impairment,” Chen said.
Both THC and celecoxib have been approved by the FDA for human use, which could offer “real benefits” as they transition into society. clinical trialaccording to UT Health.
Future studies will investigate whether drug combinations can slow disease progression or reverse deficits after symptoms appear.
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“This research has taken many years, but we are now at a point where our basic neuroscience discoveries show real potential for clinical translation,” Chen said.
Dr. Paul Safia, a neurosurgeon and founder of Coaxial Neurosurgical Specialists in New Jersey, called the study “an exciting advance that could have a profound impact on patients and their families.”
“Deterioration in neurocognitive function is associated with conditions that cause inflammation in the brain, such as previous cerebral hemorrhage, stroke, tumors, and infections,” he told Fox News Digital. “We also know that plaque builds up. related to Alzheimer’s disease [beta-amyloid plaques] It is the result of chronic inflammation. ”
“So this combination therapy makes sense.” [might] It helps limit the production of this amyloid, thereby slowing the progression of the disease. ”
Safier said the drug’s FDA approval status is “encouraging” and “if the trial is successful, it could ultimately make it more available to patients.”
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“We look forward to the results of this trial as well as future trials looking to limit the effects of chronic inflammation in the body. central nervous system. ”
