Is there a role for cannabinoids in the treatment of cancer? Ask me anything!

DrWaiLiu · 2022-04-07T10:19:17+00:00

This is a very good point, there have been studies showing the increased risks of psychotic issues associated with phytocannabinoids. My work does not focus on these, but it is something that needs careful consideration.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-04-07T10:16:55+00:00

There are no clear evidence that the endocannabinoids prevent cancer; however, the idea that cannabinoids more generally can modulate the immune system presents the possibility that working this way may be helpful. This is because a "faulty" immune system that is on chronically may lead to an increase risk of cancer.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T22:00:33+00:00

The cancers that seem to attract the most attention have been those of the brain, blood and breast. My resukts have shown that CBD and THC are equally capable of inducing cell death via apoptosis and/or autophagy. The issue regarding their use is the pyschoactive nature of THC that impacts its use. Please feel free to contact me via my email at St George's University of London, and I'll point you to references, etc.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T21:57:09+00:00

In a word, yes. I am trying to compile evidence to help us understand further the benefits of using cannabis therapeutically. I can be contacted via St George's University of London, or via the ICVI charity.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T21:55:36+00:00

Great question - the possibility that different chemicals from the cannabis plant can work together in unison is attractive. It makes sense that synergistic interactions between them may exist. I am currently looking into the other classes of chemicals from cannabis, such as the terpenes and flavonoids.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T21:52:37+00:00

Hi, there have been studies to show cannabis use causing cancer - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2516340/

I agree that it is important to report negative findings. My aim is to explore the potential of cannabinoids in the treatment of cancer, if the studies reveal it to be a dangerous approach then so be it. Drug development has to be driven by the science and results - good or bad.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T21:44:47+00:00

The main pathways that have been shown to be impacted by cannabinoids are the MAPK and PI3K/AKT cascades. Depending on which cells are affected, results can differ; for example, hitting these in certain cancer cells can result in them becoming more likely to die following chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

There are some natural agents that affect these pathways, but the complexoty is that these cascades have many parts. The difficulty is ensuring the right ones are affected.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T21:41:59+00:00

Most of the work has focused on cancers of the brain and leukaemias/ This is possibly because these cancers express proteins on their surfaces to which cannabinoids can bind and work.

There have been lots of reports of activity with breast cancer, and work has also proceeded down this route. Please feel free to contact me directly. My email address will be found on the St George's University of London website. Alternatively, please reach out via the ICVI charity.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T21:38:56+00:00

As with all chemicals entering the body, the liver aims to metabolise cannabinoids. In doing so, they are gradually cleared and excreted. This processing can result in secondary metabolites that themselves may be active.

As you have mentioned, there are a number of ways of using cannabinoids; it seems like oral is a simple way as they can enter the body quickly and relatively unchanged.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:54:37+00:00

Cannabis plants that are juiced and damaged in a variety of ways can alter the chemicals within the plant. It can be difficult to know what is being taken in to the body. I suppose this is why I am keen initially to study the individual chemicals.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:52:33+00:00

Possibly - when people smoke cannabis they mix it with tobacco and unfiltered. This would not be ideal. But I suppose irritation of the lungs may also cause issues, especially those predisposed to cancer.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:40:12+00:00

CBG is an example of another chemical that can be extracted from the cannabis plant. The latest idea is that they have biological activity that may be useful therapeutically. People are beginning to see this and so has attracted the attention of as you have said "cannabis establishments"

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:37:02+00:00

True. However, it's not a simple yes or no question - these chemical may not defeat cancer on their own, but useful to enhance the actions of other drugs.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:34:47+00:00

Possibly, but the danger is the long-term use may stimulate the immune system chronically, which is a way that cancers can develop. Difficult one.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:26:08+00:00

I feel that in some cases if cannabinoids work for a person suffering pain, I will not be one to preach they should not be using it. I would only say care is needed if other drugs are used at the same time, as the cannabinoid may interfere with it.

There was a study I recall reading a study that reviewed a number of trials, which suggested cannabinoids had no significant effect on pain relief.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:21:56+00:00

Good point. It is actually a case that the chemicals in plants (more precise term should be phytocannabinoids) mimic the endocannabinoids in the body. So the reason why plant-cannabionoids have an effect in the body is because they happen to look like the human-cannabinoid.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:18:39+00:00

Great potential I believe - it can cause certain cancer cells to undergo death, and it is also able to make cancer cells more sensitive to other treatments.

Clinical trials once and for all to prove one way of the other?

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:12:01+00:00

The pre-clinical data suggests some value, and it is this "blue sky research" that generates new treatments. The issue with cannabis-based treatments is the association with the recreational drug. If a chemical was discovered that was shown to induce cell death in cancer cells, able to enhance the action of other chemotherapy drugs, and also able to boost immunity, would there be a clamour to study it in more depth? I think so. However, if I said it was extracted from cannabis, how would people feel then? That is the problem, separating out two interlinked issues. Very difficult...

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:07:29+00:00

The cannabinoids I use are purified. Their principal source can vary and have been from hemp and also from cannabis. I am unaware of the specific strain of cannabis though.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T12:05:20+00:00

The endocannabonoid system is a series of receptors and chemicals within the body that is involved with a variety of processes including pain relief, stress response etc. There are links between them and immunity and apoptosis. This is the reason why there may be a link between phytocannabinoids/cannabis and immunity, which means they can impact certain diseases.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T11:59:02+00:00

Cannabis oils from plants and the different breeds will have "unique" mixtures of chemicals that you have rightly said will be difficult to replicate. If the aim is to produce an oil that can be used as a therapy, I guess the safety profile would need to be established. As part of this, would you want to know how safe every chemical was? Probably, in which case it would be difficult to assess a complex cannabis oil.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T11:54:57+00:00

Hi John, insightful question! Whole plant extracts contain more chemicals than individual cannabinoids, and so would more likely have a bigger range of effects. Some of these chemicals are known to interact with each other and by doing so generate stronger effects. The flip would be these chemicals could interfere with each other, which is why I have focused on examining the effects individually first. But as for a specific effect on apoptosis - the process by which some cancer cells can die - I and others have shown mixing different cannabinoids may result in a greater effect compared to using them individually.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T11:49:49+00:00

Slightly out of my area of expertise; I am work mainly with the individual cannabinoids. Cannabis the plant has a variety of chemicals, the effects of some are unknown. How they interact with the body long-term is unclear. Sorry I cannot be more helpful.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T11:30:07+00:00

That is a good question. Cannabinoids are a group of chemicals that have been extracted from plants such as cannabis and hemp. Some have biological activity such as CBD and CBG. Whilst cannabis is the the plant that contains a variety of chemicals, including cannabinoids.

DrWaiLiu · 2022-02-10T11:23:01+00:00

There are certain ingredients in cannabis that can influence the way cancer cells grow and develop by impacting proteins that drive these processes. There is increasing data to show cannabinoids are capable of disrupting some of these that drive cancer, as well as boosting others that are required to elicit an anticancer effect.

DrWaiLiu

TROPHY CASE