TITLE:
Function of the Endocannabinoid System in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Cancers
AUTHORS:
Mario Soliman, Shobha Potlakayala, Dhimant Desai, Hannah Weeden, Rabab Husain, Nicole Lookfong, Thomas Trite, John Spagnola, Shantu Amin, Sairam Rudrabhatla
KEYWORDS:
Cannabinoid, Endocannabinoid System, Neurodegenerative Disorders, Cancer
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.10 No.10,
October
25,
2019
ABSTRACT: Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by progressive
degeneration and/or death of neuronal cells and
results in a wide array of cognitive impairments and other serious neurological
defects. The signaling pathways and definite cause underlying the development of
neurodegenerative nerve diseases have not been well defined. There is evidence of
mechanisms within the endocannabinoid system that may suggest important pathways
involved the progression of neurodegenerative diseases as well as some cancers.
The endocannabinoid system is an endogenous ubiquitous neuromodulatory system that
plays a critical in the development of the central nervous system (CNS), synaptic
plasticity, as well as other primary neuronal functions. The recent identification
of various cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous lipid ligands has generated
an interest and significant increase in research of the endocannabinoid system and
its role in human health and diseases. The Endocannabinoid system possesses essential
endogenous receptors—cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CB1R) and type 2 (CB2R)—which
are involved in mechanisms that contribute to the progression of neurodegenerative
diseases and some cancers. In this review, we discuss the role of the endocannabinoid
system in various neurodegenerative diseases as well as some cancers, and its promise
as a targeted pharmacological therapy for patients of neurodegenerative diseases.