CBD and CBG are showing promise in treating glioblastoma brain tumors
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MGC Pharma a publicly traded cannabis company, recently completed pre-clinical study research on cannabinoids as a potential treatment for glioblastoma, a aggressive brain tumor. That Results were positive, reports CityA.M.
The Europe-based biopharmaceutical company, which specializes in the manufacture and development of herbal medicines, said the three-year in vitro study yielded “outstanding results”.
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Study Highlights
The research, conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Biology in Slovenia using 30 biopsy samples from 18 patients, first looked at how cannabinoids like CBD could be used to treat cancerous tumors. MGC also researched THC and later replaced it with cannabigerol, known as CBG, which has no known psychotropic effects.
The study involved more than 5,800 cell tests to determine the most efficient concentration and ratio of CBD and CBG in the treatment formulation.
The results demonstrated the effectiveness of cannabinoids in treating glioblastoma as well as the most efficient CBD:CBG ratio in inhibiting tumor viability, causing a cascade of biological processes that led to glioblastoma and stem cell death, BusinessCann reported. This is important because glioblastoma stem cells are the main cause of disease progression and are resistant to standard treatments. Glioblastoma is the most common, fast growing and most aggressive brain tumor. Composed of different cell types, the prognosis is always poor.
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“The results of this study are extremely exciting for both the company and the treatment of deadly cancer,” said Roby Zomer, co-founder and CEO of MGC Pharmaceuticals.
“MGC Pharma’s research has demonstrated the effects of naturally derived cannabinoid products on stage IV brain tumors without the use of toxic chemotherapy components. We are proud of the work done to date and look forward to advancing our proprietary formulation to the next phase of clinical trials.”
previous research
This isn’t the first successful research into CBD’s potential as a treatment for this type of brain tumor.
Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University published a study in December revealing that inhaled CBD shrank the size of glioblastoma tumors in an animal model.
The study suggested that inhaled CBD reduced the size of glioblastoma by reducing the essential support of its microenvironment. The researchers chose the inhaled approach to ensure that the compound found in the cannabis plant reaches the brain.
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
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“We saw a significant reduction in the size of the tumor and its microenvironment was different,” said Dr. Babak Baban, an immunologist and associate dean for research at Augusta University Dental College of Georgia, after just seven days of treatment.
In eight days, the aggressive brain tumor formed in the mice’s brains, and the next day they began treating them with CBD through inhalation or placebo. Researchers discovered that CBD altered the tumor ecosystem, or supportive tumor microenvironment, and restored levels of inflammation that attack glioblastoma.
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“It’s about immune system balance,” said Baban, the study’s corresponding author.
He explained that the human immune system regularly attacks cancerous or precancerous cells, but once a tumor is fully established, it takes control. This means that the tumor creates a more chronic inflammatory state that eventually protects it from the immune system.
Although more research is needed, these results are a good start as they give hope to the approximately 250,000 people worldwide who are battling this devastating disease.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
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