Cancer – Glioma / Brain
What is Glioma?
A glioma is a type of cancer that starts in the brain or spine. It is called a glioma because it arises from glial cells. The most common site of gliomas is the brain.
What is Brain Cancer?
There are two main types of brain cancer. Primary brain cancer starts in the brain. Metastatic brain cancer starts somewhere else in the body and moves to the brain. Brain tumors can be benign, with no cancer cells, or malignant, with cancer cells that grow quickly.
Brain tumors can cause many symptoms. Some of the most common are
- Headaches, usually worse in the morning
- Nausea and vomiting
- Changes in your ability to talk, hear or see
- Problems with balance or walking
- Problems with thinking or memory
- Muscle jerking or twitching
- Numbness or tingling in arms or legs
No one knows the exact causes of brain tumors. Doctors can seldom explain why one person develops a brain tumor and another does not.
Marijuana Facts and Resources:
- Marijuana Chemical May Fight Brain Cancer
“The active chemical in marijuana promotes the death of brain cancer cells by essentially helping them feed upon themselves, researchers in Spain report.” - Anti-tumor effects of cannabidiol
“…the non-psychoactive CBD was able to produce a significant antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo, thus suggesting a possible application of CBD as an antineoplastic agent.” - Pot’s cancer healing properties
“Clinical research published in a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research showing that marijuana’s components can inhibit the growth of cancerous brain tumours is the latest in a long line of studies demonstrating the drug’s potential as an anti-cancer agent.” - Cannabinoids Inhibit the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Pathway in Gliomas
“Because blockade of the VEGF pathway constitutes one of the most promising antitumoral approaches currently available, the present findings provide a novel pharmacological target for cannabinoid-based therapies.” - Inhibition of Glioma Growth in Vivo (PDF Warning)
Research using mice showing inhibition of glioma growth using marijuana. - Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.
“THC was well tolerated in this pilot study of intrakranial cannabinoid administration” - Cannabidiol triggers caspase activation and oxidative stress in human glioma cells.
“Recently, we have shown that the non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound cannabidiol (CBD) induces apoptosis of glioma cells in vitro and tumor regression in vivo. The present study investigated a possible involvement of caspase activation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction in the apoptotic effect of CBD. CBD produced a gradual, time-dependent activation of caspase-3, which preceded the appearance of apoptotic death.” - Cannabis extract makes brain tumors shrink, halts growth of blood vessels
“Researchers in Spain have discovered that a cannabis extract makes brain tumors shrink by halting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumors with life. Cannabis has chemicals called cannabinoids, these are the chemicals that could effectively starve tumors to death, say the researchers.” - THC tested against brain tumour in pilot clinical study
“Results of a clinical study with THC in nine brain cancer patients conducted in a hospital on Tenerife, Spain, were published in the British Journal of Cancer. Patients suffered from a gioblastoma, a very aggressive brain tumour, and had previously failed standard therapy (surgery and radiotherapy). Median survival was 24 weeks. Two patients survived nearly one year.” - THC inhibits cell cycle progression in human glioblastoma multiforme cells
“Delta(9)-THC is shown to significantly affect viability of GBM cells via a mechanism that appears to elicit G(1) arrest due to downregulation of E2F1 and Cyclin A. Hence, it is suggested that Delta(9)-THC and other cannabinoids be implemented in future clinical evaluation as a therapeutic modality for brain tumors.” - Down-regulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 in gliomas
“Local administration of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major active ingredient of cannabis, down-regulated TIMP-1 expression in mice bearing subcutaneous gliomas, as determined by Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses.” - Cannabinoids inhibit glioma cell invasion by down-regulating matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression.
“Local administration of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major active ingredient of cannabis, down-regulated MMP-2 expression in gliomas generated in mice, as determined by Western blot, immunofluorescence, and real-time quantitative PCR analyses.” - Anti-Tumor Effects
“Emerging research indicates that cannabinoids may help protect against the development of certain types of tumors. Most recently, a Spanish research team reported in Nature that injections of synthetic THC eradicated malignant brain tumors – so-called gliomas – in one-third of treated rats, and prolonged life in another third by as much as six weeks.”
