Researchers from Universidade de Lisboa and the Gulbenkian Institute of Molecular Medicine have found that chronic administration of cannabidivarin (CBDV), a non-intoxicating cannabinoid, may help alleviate some symptoms of Rett Syndrome in a female mouse model of the disorder.
Rett Syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental condition caused primarily by mutations in the MECP2 gene, which regulates neuronal development and adult neurogenesis. The study explored the impact of daily CBDV treatment (3 mg/kg) in pre-symptomatic mice genetically modified to mirror the human disease.
While the treatment did not improve general locomotor activity, it significantly mitigated motor coordination deficits and helped preserve cognitive performance, as evidenced by performance in the novel object recognition test. Additionally, the researchers observed genotype-specific changes in neural stem cell proliferation in the hippocampus, suggesting that CBDV may influence adult neurogenesis in MECP2-deficient individuals.
The findings point to CBDV’s potential as a therapeutic candidate for managing aspects of Rett Syndrome, warranting further clinical investigation.
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