A team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found that rats and mice subjected to traumatic brain injury (TBI) showed significantly better recovery when treated with cannabinoid compounds, possibly opening the way for clinical trials in the near future.
The endocannabinoid system, our body’s natural cannabinoid receptors, is found in the brain and most organs of the body, and is believed to be a part of the neuroprotective mechanism in mammals, said Prof. Esther Shohami of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The mice only received a single dose, but showed positive effects up to three months after the injury. 2-AG’s main effect is as an anti-inflammatory compound, Shohami said.
There are no drugs approved for treating traumatic brain injury, Shohami said, partly due to failures in developing treatment by the industry in the 1990s and 2000s, which has made drug companies reluctant to endorse new treatments.
Shohami will present her research, titled “The role of CB2 receptors in the recovery of mice after traumatic brain injury,” at the Cann10 International Medical Cannabis Conference, which will be held in Tel Aviv on June 4-6.
SOURCE: Times of Israel
