Cannabis sativa , or more commonly known in society as marijuana, has an active ingredient called THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) which has been tested by scientists in Spain and based on testing on mice carrying human cancer cells and patients with a fast moving brain cancer, there is an increasing amount of evidence to suggest that THC plays a vital role in the destroying of brain cancer cells. Scientists have identified 66 biologically active ingredients in marijuana but the chemical of most interest is THC.
Scientists have found that the injecting of THC into the brain triggers autophagy, the process by which the lysosomes in the cells use their hydrolytic enzymes to recycle the cell's organic material. Scientist Guillermo Velasco working on this particular study, found that this process follows a specific pathway by which the cancer cells are killed and the healthy cells are left untouched.
Although this has only been tested on two human patients suffering with severe forms of brain cancer, further research is to be conducted on patients to determine if THC is actually a cure for brain cancer. These two patients were subject to a 26 - 30 day treatment regime, following this, samples of the brain cancer cells were compared before and after the particular treatment regime. The results of this showed that the healthy cells were left intact while the cancer cells were eliminated, this result was then replicated in mice with modified genetics to contain brain cancer cells.
But that's not to say that cancer patients should start smoking marijuana or looking for alternative to cure their brain cancer. This is still in the preliminary stages, the full extent of the effect of THC is not fully known. This has caused much debate amoung scientists as there is also contradictory evidence to suggest that THC had no effect on cancer cells. Due to the evidence suggesting that THC does have a beneficial effect on brain cancer cells, further research is being conducted.
Whether this proves to be a cure, or purely just a coincidence of results only time and research will tell.
For original article: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/04/01/hscout625697.html
For further information visit: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Marijuana.asp
