CBD shows anti-proliferative effect on colorectal cancer cells
This in vitro (test tube) study examined the effects of CBD on colorectal cancer cells and identified several beneficial activities due to CBD. It was published in the July 2022 issue of the journal International Immunopharmacology.
They found that CBD acted in a dose-dependent manner, meaning that the higher the dose, the greater the benefit in repressing colorectal cancer cell viability.
Anti-proliferative activity was also observed for other cannabinoids including cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabicyclol (CBL), and cannabigerovarin (CBGV).
The specific activity observed:
- G1-phase cell cycle arrest
- increased sub-G1 population (apoptotic cells)
- downregulated protein expression of cyclin D1, cyclin D3, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), CDK4, and CDK6
- increased caspase 3/7 activity and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase
- elevated expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress proteins including binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and ATF4
- repressed cell viability and induced apoptotic cell death through a mechanism dependent on cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), but not on CB1, transient receptor potential vanilloid, or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma
The authors' conclusions:
- CBD represses viability of human colorectal cancer cells.
- CBD induces cell cycle arrest and increases apoptosis and ER stress in human colorectal cancer cells.
- CBD represses cell viability and induces apoptotic cell death via a CB2-dependent mechanism.
The abstract is here at ScienceDirect.com.