Compounds related to the active agents in marijuana may help ease tremors and severe muscle stiffness in multiple sclerosis, suggests a study co-authored by a chemist from Clemson University and scientists from the United Kingdom.
The study will be published March 2 in the prestigious journal "Nature."
The study could fuel public interest in the potential medical benefit of cannabinoids, the group of compounds related to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary mind-altering ingredient in marijuana. Cannabinoids are found in marijuana, and a type of cannabinoid is produced naturally in humans. Related compounds can also be synthesized in chemistry laboratories. Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana and other drugs made from the plant.
As well as providing objective experimental support for previous anecdotal claims by people with MS that cannabis can relieve the distressing symptoms of spasticity and tremor, the results highlight a potentially useful test system for developing new therapeutics to treat these symptoms," said Lorna Layward, head of research with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
"The compounds need to be developed and tested in humans to see whether they can alleviate these symptoms in MS, she said.
The study found that synthetic cannabinoids lessen the symptoms of tremor and spasticity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis called experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.
The compounds, one of which was developed by Clemson's John Huffman, work by stimulating the naturally occurring cannabinoid receptors in the body.
It has long been known that marijuana-related compounds have an effect on the brain, leading to the so-called "high" associated with the drug. But this discovery may hold the key to developing treatments that can lessen the severity of symptoms without mind-altering, or psychoactive, side effects.
This is very exciting work, but we're still at the very early stages," said Huffman. "Our next step is to see if we can come up with a better compounds." Huffman's work is funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health's drug abuse research arm, the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Authors, in addition to Layward and Huffman, include David Baker, Gareth Price and Ludovic Croxford, of the University College London; Peter Brown of London's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery; and Roger G. Pertwee of the University of Aberdeen.
MS is one of the major causes of disability in adults under age 65. Women are affected more than men. The disorder most commonly begins during ages 20 to 40 and has a higher incidence in northern Europe, the northern United States, southern Australia, and New Zealand.
Journal
Nature