07 May SALK Lab Studies Cannabinol Fragments For Neuroprotective Effects
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Maher
Pamela Maher, PhD
Research Professor
Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory
SALK Institute for Biologic Studies
La Jolla California
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Several years ago, we tested several different cannabinoids for protection against the oxytosis/ferroptosis regulated cell death pathway and found CBN (cannabinol) to be one of the most effective. While THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidol) were also quite protective, we wanted to pursue non-psychoactive cannabinoids. Since we are interested in maintaining brain function in the context of aging and disease, we thought that a psychoactive compound could be problematic. In addition, there was already a lot of work on CBD, so we thought we could learn more and contribute more to the field by studying CBN.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: We identified the key active fragments of CBN, made CBN analogs, tested their neuroprotective activity in cell culture models of oxytosis/ferroptosis, determined whether they worked through the same biochemical pathways as CBN, then tested them in a fly model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). We found that, while the analogs were similar to CBN with respect to their neuroprotective activity in cell culture, in the flies one of the analogs was much more effective than either CBN or the other analogs. This difference indicated that analog had significant promise for further in vivo studies and possibly further development as a drug candidate.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: I think one of the biggest takeaways is that it is important to test new molecules in both cell cultures and simple in vivo assays, because the in vivo study provided important insights that we would not have obtained with the cell culture studies alone. Furthermore, the CBN analog that was most effective in the fly model could be useful as a new drug candidate or can serve as the basis for the development of additional CBN analogs. The results also further support research into cannabinoids and cannabinoid analogs for the treatment of various neurological diseases.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a results of this study?
Response: The next step would be first to compare the different CBN analogs to CBN in other fly models of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Based on those results, we would decide whether it would be appropriate to test any of the analogs in mouse models of aging and/or disease.
No disclosures.
Citation:
Zhibin Liang, Alec Candib, David Soriano-Castell, Wolfgang Fischer, Kim Finley, Pamela Maher,
Fragment-based drug discovery and biological evaluation of novel cannabinol-based inhibitors of oxytosis/ferroptosis for neurological disorders,
Redox Biology, Volume 72, 2024, 103138, ISSN 2213-2317,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2024.103138.
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Last Updated on May 7, 2024 by Marie Benz MD FAAD