The active ingredient in cannabis could alleviate serious effects of COVID-19
To combat some serious respiratory complications of Covid, the active ingredient of cannabis THC Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may be effective. This is indicated by independent studies conducted by scientific teams.
This would involve the controlled administration of the active ingredient of cannabis, not the consumption of the plant itself.
The most recent studies have been published by researchers from the University of South Carolina, led by Amira Mohamed and Mitzi Nagarkatti.
Published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, The authors explain that they have not investigated the effects of THC on Covid, but on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a complication with a high risk of death that can occur after an infection by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.
In the experiment, mice were exposed to the enterotoxin produced by this bacteria, called SEB, which is highly toxic to the organism. 100% of those who received THC were cured.
What leads researchers to believe that THC could also be useful in certain severe respiratory complications of COVID-19 is that they share a similar mechanism. SEB (serum bromide) triggers a major immune response called a cytokine storm, which involves key proteins in cell communication. These proteins play a very active role in the immune system.
It has been observed that COVID-19 causes a large release of cytokines, an excessive reaction of the immune system. And this is what typically leads to lung damage and multiple organ failure.
Therefore, they hypothesize that THC could also be useful against Covid. In fact, a significant proportion of Covid patients suffer from ARDS.
The authors clarify: “Further studies are needed to investigate whether the mechanisms involved are similar and whether cannabinoids can be used to treat ARDS-related Covid.”
Begin human trials
The same researchers have published the results of the study in the journals International Journal of Molecular Sciences y British Journal of Pharmacology.
According to Nagarkatti, in the dozens of experiments that the three studies compile, The 100% mice that received THC were cured.
The authors state that the results are promising enough to begin human trials. However, they emphasize that, for the time being, they do not recommend that people who already have Covid participate.
In June, an article by an Italian team was published in the British Journal of Pharmacology. Among the authors is Walter Sanseverino, from the Barcelona-based bioinformatics company Sequentia Biotech.
The researchers hypothesized that cannabinol, also present in cannabis but different from THC, and which also has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, could be useful against the respiratory complications of Covid. They based their hypothesis on data from several preclinical studies.
Other cannabis substances being investigated for Covid
There is a third team of scientists who published a study in April preprint study that is still awaiting review. Olga, Igor Kovalchuk and their collaborators at the University of Lethbridge, in Alberta (Canada), point out that cannabis extracts with high cannabidiol and low THC content could block the receptor that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus uses to enter cells.
The initial goal was to develop extracts for various health problems, but when the pandemic appeared they reviewed the data to adapt them to Covid.
Igor Kovalchuk explains it very graphically in the magazine Cannabis Therapy“We imagine a cell as a large building. Cannabinoids reduce the number of doors by 70%. And in this way, the level of entry is restricted. Therefore, there is a greater chance of fighting the infection.”.
Finally, other compounds present in cannabis could also be useful. These are terpenes, compounds found in many other plants.
The study was conducted by two Israeli companies: Eybna, specializing in terpenes, and Cannasoul, which researches cannabis and its derivatives.
The investigation, which was reported by several media outlets, such as Health Europe, It notes that the terpenes present in cannabis were also effective against inflammatory processes, including the cytokine storm produced in Covid.
The goal is to find a device that allows terpenes to be administered by inhalation.
All these studies are aimed at verifying the effect of certain active ingredients administered in a controlled manner, not the effects of smoking marijuana. Doctors have warned that smoking causes inflammation in the lungs. This represents an increased risk of complications from COVID-19.
Fountain: CCMA (Catalan Corporation of Audiovisual Media)
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