Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
Bosn J Basic Med Sci. 2019 Feb 12;19(1):14-23. doi: 10.17305/bjbms.2018.3532.
The plant Cannabis sativa L. has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries and is the most important source of phytocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) consists of receptors, endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids) and metabolizing enzymes, and plays an important role in different physiological and pathological processes. Phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids can interact with the components of ECS or other cellular pathways and thus affect the development/progression of diseases, including cancer. In cancer patients, cannabinoids have primarily been used as a part of palliative care to alleviate pain, relieve nausea and stimulate appetite. In addition, numerous cell culture and animal studies showed antitumor effects of cannabinoids in various cancer types. Here we reviewed the literature on anticancer effects of plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoids, to better understand their mechanisms of action and role in cancer treatment. We also reviewed the current legislative updates on the use of cannabinoids for medical and therapeutic purposes, primarily in the EU countries. In vitro and in vivo cancer models show that cannabinoids can effectively modulate tumor growth, however, the antitumor effects appear to be largely dependent on cancer type and drug dose/concentration. Understanding how cannabinoids are able to regulate essential cellular processes involved in tumorigenesis, such as progression through the cell cycle, cell proliferation and cell death, as well as the interactions between cannabinoids and the immune system, are crucial for improving existing and developing new therapeutic approaches for cancer patients. The national legislation of the EU Member States defines the legal boundaries of permissible use of cannabinoids for medical and therapeutic purposes, however, these legislative guidelines may not be aligned with the current scientific knowledge.
植物大麻属植物已被用作草药数百年，是植物大麻素的最重要来源。内源性大麻素系统 (ECS) 由受体、内源性配体（内源性大麻素）和代谢酶组成，在不同的生理和病理过程中发挥重要作用。植物大麻素和合成大麻素可以与 ECS 的成分或其他细胞途径相互作用，从而影响疾病（包括癌症）的发展/进展。在癌症患者中，大麻素主要作为姑息治疗的一部分用于缓解疼痛、缓解恶心和刺激食欲。此外，大量的细胞培养和动物研究表明，大麻素在各种癌症类型中具有抗肿瘤作用。在这里，我们综述了植物衍生和合成大麻素的抗癌作用的文献，以更好地了解它们的作用机制及其在癌症治疗中的作用。我们还回顾了关于大麻素在医疗和治疗目的上的使用的当前立法更新，主要是在欧盟国家。体外和体内癌症模型表明，大麻素可以有效地调节肿瘤生长，然而，抗肿瘤作用似乎在很大程度上取决于癌症类型和药物剂量/浓度。了解大麻素如何能够调节与肿瘤发生相关的重要细胞过程，如细胞周期的进展、细胞增殖和细胞死亡，以及大麻素与免疫系统之间的相互作用，对于改善现有和开发新的癌症患者治疗方法至关重要。欧盟成员国的国家立法规定了大麻素在医疗和治疗目的上允许使用的法律界限，然而，这些立法指导方针可能与当前的科学知识不一致。
