Study cannabis acts against the toxic protein deposits

What effects does THC have on Alzheimer's??

Researchers have now found that an active compound in marijuana promotes the removal of toxic clumps of amyloid beta proteins in the brain. These deposits are believed to be responsible for the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

The scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found in their current study that so-called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) promotes the removal of toxic clots in the brain. Thus, the progress of Alzheimer's may be slowed or even stopped. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Aging and Mechanisms of Disease".

Cannabinoids have a protective effect

The current finding supports the results of previous studies that have already found evidence of the protective effects of cannabinoids, including THC, on patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Although previous studies have shown that cannabinoids are neuroprotective against the symptoms of Alzheimer's, the current study provides the first evidence that cannabinoids affect both inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells, said study author David Schubert of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Further uses of THC

In their study, Schubert and his colleagues tested the effects of THC on human neurons that were bred in the laboratory and that simulate the effects of Alzheimer's disease. The compound THC is responsible for much of the psychological effects of marijuana. These include the analgesic properties which may be useful, for example, in the treatment of HIV and chemotherapy. For example, THC can also be used for chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and stroke.

How does the connection in the body??

In fact, THC seems to be such an amazing medical ingredient that researchers are working to grow genetically engineered yeasts that can produce the drug much more efficiently than synthetic methods. The compound works by getting from the lungs into the bloodstream, where it attaches to two types of receptors, the cannabinoid receptor (CB) 1 and 2. These receptors occur on cell surfaces throughout the body, explain the physicians. In the brain, these receptors are most concentrated in neurons associated with pleasure, memory, thinking, coordination and time perception.

THC helps the aging brain

Research in recent years has increasingly suggested that THC binding to these receptors could have a positive effect on aging brains as it helps the body to eliminate the toxic accumulations of beta-amyloid.

What causes Alzheimer's??

So far it remains unclear what actually causes Alzheimer's disease, but it is believed that the disease results from an accumulation of two types of lesions: amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Amyloid plaques sit between the neurons as tight clusters of beta-amyloid molecules, a sticky type of protein that clumps easily. The so-called neurofibrillary tangles are caused by defective tau proteins, which aggregate into a thick, insoluble mass in the neurons, the scientists explain.

New approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's in sight?

It is not clear why the lesions appear in the brain, but studies have linked inflammation in the brain tissue to the proliferation of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. So, if researchers find something that helps reduce inflammation in the brain and at the same time encourages the body to get rid of those lesions, it could be a first step towards effective treatment for Alzheimer's. Inflammation in the brain is a major component of the damage associated with Alzheimer's disease, but it has always been thought that this response comes from immune-like cells in the brain, not the nerve cells themselves, says study author Antonio Currais of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

There might already be a suitable drug

When the experts were able to identify the molecular basis of the inflammatory response to beta-amyloid, it quickly became clear that THC has compounds similar to those that normally self-assemble nerve cells and that play an important role in protecting cells from beta-amyloid Die off. There is even a drug candidate called J147, which seems to have the same effects as THC. Maybe this drug could enable the effective treatment of Alzheimer's in the future. (As)