A recent study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology has highlighted the potential anti-cancer properties of cannabis oil extract (COE) in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
The study, published online this week by the US National Library of Medicine, explores the effectiveness of COE in both cellular and animal models.
Researchers focused on WEHI-3 cells and a WEHI-3-induced leukemia mouse model to evaluate the efficacy of COE. The cells were treated with various concentrations of COE. The results were promising, with the extract demonstrated significant cytotoxicity.
“COE treatment caused an induction of apoptosis through the inhibition of the MAPK/ERK pathway,” the researchers noted. This process triggers a caspase-dependent apoptosis via both extrinsic and intrinsic modes, independent of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.
In the in vivo model, BALB/c mice inoculated with WEHI-3 cells were treated with COE starting 10 days post-inoculation for a duration of three weeks. The findings showed a significantly higher survival rate among the treated animals, along with a reduction in spleen weight and white blood cell count.
“The study underscores the potential application of COE as a chemotherapeutic adjuvant in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia,” the authors concluded.
The full text of this study can be found by clicking here.
