Neuropsychopharmacology Division, Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Health, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.
School of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Health, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 10;18(8):3993. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18083993.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder mainly characterised by recurrent seizures that affect the entire population diagnosed with the condition. Currently, there is no cure for the disease and a significant proportion of patients have been deemed to have treatment-resistant epilepsy (TRE). A patient is deemed to have TRE if two or more antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) fail to bring about seizure remission. This inefficacy of traditional AEDs, coupled with their undesirable side effect profile, has led to researchers considering alternative forms of treatment. Phytocannabinoids have long served as therapeutics with delta-9-THC (Δ-THC) receiving extensive focus to determine its therapeutic potential. This focus on Δ-THC has been to the detriment of analysing the plethora of other phytocannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. The overall aim of this review is to explore other novel phytocannabinoids and their place in epilepsy treatment. The current review intends to achieve this aim via an exploration of the molecular targets underlying the anticonvulsant capabilities of cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidavarin (CBDV), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (Δ-THCV) and cannabigerol (CBG). Further, this review will provide an exploration of current pre-clinical and clinical data as it relates to the aforementioned phytocannabinoids and the treatment of epilepsy symptoms. With specific reference to epilepsy in young adult and adolescent populations, the exploration of CBD, CBDV, Δ-THCV and CBG in both preclinical and clinical environments can guide future research and aid in the further understanding of the role of phytocannabinoids in epilepsy treatment. Currently, much more research is warranted in this area to be conclusive.
癫痫是一种主要以反复发作影响整个人群的神经系统疾病。目前，这种疾病还没有治愈方法，很大一部分患者被认为患有耐药性癫痫（TRE）。如果两种或更多种抗癫痫药物（AEDs）不能控制癫痫发作，就可以认为患者患有 TRE。传统 AEDs 的这种无效性，加上它们不理想的副作用，导致研究人员考虑替代治疗方法。植物大麻素长期以来一直被用作治疗方法，其中 delta-9-THC（Δ-THC）受到广泛关注，以确定其治疗潜力。这种对 Δ-THC 的关注，在一定程度上忽视了分析大麻植物中发现的其他大量植物大麻素。本综述的总体目标是探讨其他新型植物大麻素及其在癫痫治疗中的地位。目前的综述旨在通过探讨大麻二酚（CBD）、大麻二酚酸（CBDV）、Δ-9-四氢大麻酚（Δ-THCV）和大麻二醇（CBG）的抗惊厥作用的分子靶点来实现这一目标。此外，本综述将探讨当前与上述植物大麻素和癫痫症状治疗相关的临床前和临床数据。具体参考年轻成人和青少年癫痫，在临床前和临床环境中对 CBD、CBDV、Δ-THCV 和 CBG 的探索，可以为未来的研究提供指导，并有助于进一步了解植物大麻素在癫痫治疗中的作用。目前，在这一领域需要进行更多的研究才能得出结论。
