Prostate cancer, a cannabis derivative is being studied
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Let’s go back to talking about prostate cancer, the most common among the male population aged 50 and over, and, perhaps, a new ally for its treatment: cannabis, and more precisely one of its non-psychoactive derivatives, the CBD (cannabidiol, already approved to treat seizures associated with various forms of childhood epilepsy) could help us to counteract the phase in which this pathology becomes refractory to hormonal therapy. This is what was reported in a preclinical study conducted by a team of researchers from the Biomolecular Chemistry Institute of the National Research Council (Cnr-Icb) of Pozzuoli and the University of Brescia, published in Pharmacological Research. Let’s see what it is.
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The metabolism of tumor cells
Plant-derived cannabinoids have been used for many decades as palliative agents for cancer patients, and in recent years several similar compounds and cannabinoid-based drugs have been investigated for their potential anticancer activity. To understand the new results, it is necessary to take a step back on two mechanisms that are fundamental for any cell type: metabolic reprogramming and programmed cell death (apoptosis). The first is the ability of cancer cells, especially those in the advanced stage, to modify their metabolism to support the increased energy demand. In general, in fact, as they replicate much faster than healthy cells, they need a high amount of energy, which they obtain by modifying the mechanisms that regulate their metabolism. These mechanisms depend on organelles called mitochondria, which are the real energy powerhouses of our cells, and seem to play a key role both in the oncogenesis of prostate cancer, i.e. the process that leads to the transformation of normal cells into cancerous cells, and in the acquisition of drug resistance.
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Programmed cell death
Apoptosis, and the related signals that trigger it, instead come into play when the cell realizes that something is going wrong. This “something” can be, for example, irreparable damage to the DNA but also, in fact, a metabolic dysfunction linked to the malfunctioning of the mitochondria. It is a defense mechanism, a sort of “suicide” of the single cell in favor of the integrity of the tissue to which it belongs and, consequently, of the whole organism.
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Speed up the metabolism to kill the tumor
Returning to the study, the research group has identified some metabolic processes as possible “weak points” of the cancerous cells of prostate cancer, which can be leveraged with pharmacological treatments. In particular, we speak in this case of the VDCA1 protein. “VDAC1 is one of the key proteins that regulate mitochondrial function and that is responsible for both cellular metabolism and the cell death/survival signaling pathway,” he explains. Alessia Ligrestiwho led the study in collaboration with Roberto Ronca -. By binding precisely to VDAC1, CBD causes an acceleration of the metabolism of the tumor cell, triggering compensation mechanisms that activate programmed death”.
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CBD in combination with other phytocannabinoids
The study suggests the possibility of using this molecule in combination with others, to fully exploit the therapeutic potential as anticancer agents. Indeed, in animal models, CBD, suitably combined with other non-psychoactive phytocannabinoids such as cannabigerol (CBG), has been shown to be able to reduce the growth of tumors resistant to hormone therapy. “The hope – concludes Ligresti – is that these results will favor future studies, including clinical trials, on the possible use of non-psychotropic cannabinoids as adjuvants for the treatment of prostate cancer”.
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