News - Cannabis-Based Drugs Might Relieve Bowel Disease

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Cannabis-Based Drugs Might Relieve Bowel Disease

NEW YORK -- Derivatives of the active compound in cannabis --

cannabinoids -- may have the potential for treating inflammatory bowel

diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, UK researchers

report.

" The system that responds to cannabis in the brain is present and

functioning in the lining of the gut, " lead researcher Dr.

, of the University of Bath, explained to Reuters Health. " There

is an increased presence of one component of this system during

inflammatory bowel diseases, " she explained.

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and her colleagues established the location of cannabinoid

receptors CB1 and CB2 in human colon tissue, and used human colon cell

lines to investigate the binding of cannabinoid compounds and in

wound-healing experiments. They report their findings in the journal

Gastroenterology

The team found that CB2 was increased in colonic tissue characteristic

of inflammatory bowel disease. Cannabinoids enhanced surface wound

closure via CB1-related mechanisms.

" Cannabinoids, which we make ourselves, as well as synthetic

cannabinoids, can promote wound healing in the gut, which is extremely

interesting given that inflammatory bowel disease involves damaged gut

linings, " said.

Although results are available yet, she added, relevant studies of the

use of cannabinoids are taking place in the UK and a clinical trial is

being conducted in Germany.

SOURCE: Gastroenterology, August 2005.

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