Title : Investigating the efficacy of cannabis-derived compounds for treatment of parkinson’s disease
Abstract:
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, affecting the brain`s ability to control movement and coordination. PD affects the brain, but disease pathology is systemic which is evident in peripheral non-neural tissues such as blood and skin. Currently there is no cure for PD and treatment options are ineffective long term. Cannabinoids have shown promise as a therapeutic in PD as they exhibit antioxidant, neuroprotective, anticonvulsive, anti-epileptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Accumulating evidence suggests that cannabinoids have shown to be effective in mitigating the symptoms associated with PD and other neurodegenerative diseases through the modulation of mitochondrial function and dynamics. However, the exact mechanism of action is not well understood. Recent findings have shown that mitochondrial dysfunction and elevated calcium signalling play key roles in the development of PD. Our laboratory has identified abnormalities in mitochondrial function and calcium signalling in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from the blood of people suffering from PD. In this study, LCLs from PD patients were treated with cannabidiol (CBD) and its propyl analogue cannabidivarin (CBDV), and mitochondrial function and calcium signalling assessed. Results show that CBD was able to rescue both the energy production defect and the defect in cytosolic calcium signalling in the PD LCLs.
