According to a new study, “the ability of CBD to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation and invasiveness suggests that CBD may have potential as a future chemotherapeutic agent.”
Conducted by researchers at the University College Dublin, the study is being published in the newest issue of the Journal of Natural Products, with it published online ahead of print by the US National Library of Medicine. The study is titled Cannabidiol Inhibits the Proliferation and Invasiveness of Prostate Cancer Cells.
“Prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in men, responsible for over 375,000 deaths in 2020”, states the study. “Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to improve outcomes.”
Cannabinoids, chemical components of the cannabis plant, “are a possible solution”, says researchers. “Preclinical evidence demonstrates that cannabinoids can modulate several cancer hallmarks of many tumor types. However, the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in prostate cancer has not yet been fully explored.”
With that in mind, the “aim of this study was to investigate the antiproliferative and anti-invasive properties of cannabidiol (CBD) in prostate cancer cells in vitro.”
The study states that “CBD inhibited cell viability and proliferation, accompanied by reduced expression of key cell cycle proteins, specifically cyclin D3 and cyclin-dependent kinases CDK2, CDK4, and CDK1, and inhibition of AKT phosphorylation.”
The effects of CBD on cell viability “were not blocked by cannabinoid receptor antagonists, a transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel blocker, or an agonist of the G-protein-coupled receptor GPR55, suggesting that CBD acts independently of these targets in prostate cancer cells.”
Furthermore, “CBD reduced the invasiveness of highly metastatic PC-3 cells and increased protein expression of E-cadherin.”
The study concludes by stating “The ability of CBD to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation and invasiveness suggests that CBD may have potential as a future chemotherapeutic agent.”
