A new study finds that cannabidiol (CBD) may effectively combat colorectal cancer (CRC), showing antitumor effects across multiple cell lines, regardless of genetic mutations.
Published in the journal ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, researchers from The University of Queensland and the University of Newcastle in Australia tested CBD on four CRC cell lines—HCT116, HT-29, LS174T, and LS153—each with distinct mutations, including KRAS, BRAF, APC, and PTEN.
The study found that CBD induced apoptosis and suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion in a concentration-dependent manner. The researchers also observed that CBD triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in cancer cells but not in healthy intestinal organoids.
Further analysis showed that the anticancer effects were mediated through CB2 receptor activation, as blocking this pathway with SR144528 reduced CBD’s impact.
These findings suggest that CBD could be a viable treatment for CRC, working independently of common genetic mutations that influence tumor behavior.
