Breast Cancer and Cannabidiol

[Guest guest]

> From another list:

Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast

cancer cells McAllisterSD, Christian RT, et al, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics

2007;6(11):2921-7 / California Pacific Medical Center, Research Institute / San

Francisco, CA 94107

>In a study involving aggressive human breast cancer cells,

>cannabidiol, a compound found in cannabis with a low toxicity profile was found

to block the activity of a gene called Id1, thereby reducing the aggressiveness

of the cancer cells. In previous research, the authors had determined that

metastatic breast cancer cells were less invasive and less metastatic when Id-1

was down-regulated. In this study, cannabidiol (CBD) was found to down regulate

Id-1 expression in aggressive human breast cancer cells, the concentration

effective at doing so correlated with the concentration required to inhibit the

proliferative and invasive phenotype of breast cancer cells. In a

concentration-dependent manner, CBD inhibited Id-1 expression at the mRNA and

protein level. According to the authors, the effects of CBD appear to result

from the inhibition of the ID-1 gene at the promoter level. CBD did not inhibit

invasiveness in cells that ectopically expressed ID-1. The authors conclude that

CBD represents the FIRST NON-TOXIC exogenous agent that can significantly

decrease Id-1 expression in metastatic breast cancer, and given the toxicity and

other side effects associated with chemotherapy, these results offer hope that a

non-toxic alternative to chemotherapy may be on the horizon.

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Best wishes for a peaceful and happy 2008,

Kerry

--

Kerry Hackett, MNIMH, RH

Medical Herbalist