Abstract
In recent years, considerable interest has been generated by findings that cannabinoids not only have useful palliative effects, but also can affect the viability and invasivity of a variety of different cancer cells. In the present review, the potential of targeting the cannabinoid system for the treatment of cancer is considered from a practical, rather than a mechanistic viewpoint, addressing questions such as whether human tumour cells express CB receptors; whether the potencies of action of cannabinoids in vitro match the potencies expected on the basis of receptor theory; what is known about the in vivo effects of cannabinoids and cancer, and how relevant the experiments undertaken are to the clinical situation; and finally, what approaches can be taken to minimise unwanted effects of cannabinoid treatment. It is concluded that cannabinoids (or agents modulating the endogenous cannabinoid system) are an attractive target for drug development in the cancer area, but that more in vivo studies, particularly those investigating the potential of cannabinoids as an addition to current treatment strategies, are needed.
Keywords: Cannabinoid, anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, fatty acid amide hydrolase, monoacylglycerol lipase, cancer, glioma, prostate cancer
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: Targeting the Endocannabinoid System for the Treatment of Cancer – A Practical View
Volume: 10 Issue: 8
Author(s): Christopher J. Fowler, Sofia B. Gustafsson, Sui Chu Chung, Emma Persson, Stig O.P. Jacobsson and Anders Bergh
Affiliation:
Keywords: Cannabinoid, anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, fatty acid amide hydrolase, monoacylglycerol lipase, cancer, glioma, prostate cancer
Abstract: In recent years, considerable interest has been generated by findings that cannabinoids not only have useful palliative effects, but also can affect the viability and invasivity of a variety of different cancer cells. In the present review, the potential of targeting the cannabinoid system for the treatment of cancer is considered from a practical, rather than a mechanistic viewpoint, addressing questions such as whether human tumour cells express CB receptors; whether the potencies of action of cannabinoids in vitro match the potencies expected on the basis of receptor theory; what is known about the in vivo effects of cannabinoids and cancer, and how relevant the experiments undertaken are to the clinical situation; and finally, what approaches can be taken to minimise unwanted effects of cannabinoid treatment. It is concluded that cannabinoids (or agents modulating the endogenous cannabinoid system) are an attractive target for drug development in the cancer area, but that more in vivo studies, particularly those investigating the potential of cannabinoids as an addition to current treatment strategies, are needed.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
J. Fowler Christopher, B. Gustafsson Sofia, Chu Chung Sui, Persson Emma, O.P. Jacobsson Stig and Bergh Anders, Targeting the Endocannabinoid System for the Treatment of Cancer – A Practical View, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 2010; 10 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156802610791164201
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156802610791164201 |
Print ISSN 1568-0266 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4294 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Chemistry Based on Natural Products for Therapeutic Purposes
The development of new pharmaceuticals for a wide range of medical conditions has long relied on the identification of promising natural products (NPs). There are over sixty percent of cancer, infectious illness, and CNS disease medications that include an NP pharmacophore, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Since NP ...read more
Current Trends in Drug Discovery Based on Artificial Intelligence and Computer-Aided Drug Design
Drug development discovery has faced several challenges over the years. In fact, the evolution of classical approaches to modern methods using computational methods, or Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD), has shown promising and essential results in any drug discovery campaign. Among these methods, molecular docking is one of the most notable ...read more
Drug Discovery in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), we have witnessed a significant boom in AI techniques for drug discovery. AI techniques are increasingly integrated and accelerating the drug discovery process. These developments have not only attracted the attention of academia and industry but also raised important questions regarding the selection ...read more
From Biodiversity to Chemical Diversity: Focus of Flavonoids
Flavonoids are the largest group of polyphenols, plant secondary metabolites arising from the essential aromatic amino acid phenylalanine (or more rarely from tyrosine) via the phenylpropanoid pathway. The flavan nucleus is the basic 15-carbon skeleton of flavonoids (C6-C3-C6), which consists of two phenyl rings (A and B) and a heterocyclic ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
The Use of the Inhibitory Receptors for Modulating the Immune Responses
Current Pharmaceutical Design Therapeutic Applications of Crocus sativus L. (Saffron): A Review
The Natural Products Journal Restoring p53 Function in Cancer: Novel Therapeutic Approaches for Applying the Brakes to Tumorigenesis
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery HER2-Mediated Anticancer Drug Delivery: Strategies to Prepare Targeting Ligands Highly Specific for the Receptor
Current Medicinal Chemistry Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling in Motor Neuron Diseases
Current Molecular Medicine Preface: [Hot topic: Metal Compounds in Medicinal Chemistry (Executive Editor: Dinorah Gambino)]
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Recent Advances of Kinesin Motor Inhibitors and their Clinical Progress
Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials Post-Translational Protein Modifications of Rare and Unconventional Types: Implications in Functions and Diseases
Current Medicinal Chemistry Biofunctional Materials for Directing Vascular Development
Current Vascular Pharmacology Anti-cancer Peptides from Ras-P21 and P53 Proteins
Current Pharmaceutical Design Targeting Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) to Counteract Tumour- Induced ImmuneDysfunction: From Biochemistry to Clinical Development
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets Iron Chelators in Cancer Chemotherapy
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Hypoxic Radiosensitizers and Hypoxic Cytotoxins in Radiation Oncology
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anti-Cancer Agents Cellular Senescence-Inducing Small Molecules for Cancer Treatment
Current Cancer Drug Targets Ellagic Acid Enhances the Efficacy of PI3K Inhibitor GDC-0941 in Breast Cancer Cells
Current Molecular Medicine Modulation of intracellular pH in human ovarian cancer.
Current Molecular Medicine Unequivocal Role of Pyrazine Ring in Medicinally Important Compounds: A Review
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Garlic-Derived Allyl Sulfides in Cancer Therapy
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Medical Applications of Collagen and Collagen-Based Materials
Current Medicinal Chemistry TRP Channels as Therapeutic Targets in Kidney Disease and Hypertension
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry