RESEARCH CORNER

A Safety Study of Sativex in Combination With Dose-intense Temozolomide in Patients With Recurrent Glioblastoma.

In the Clinical trial done by GWpharmaceuticals using Sativex ( a cannabis extract of equal parts THC and CBD) and temozolomide in recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.

Editors Note | Recurrent Glioblastoma (the cancer Senator John McCain had).

STUDY FACTS

The median survival rate of those: 1. in the placebo group was around 369 days 2. in the sativex and temozolomide group was greater than 550 days

The 1 year survival rate of those: 1. in the placebo group was 56% 2. in the sativex and temozolomide group was 83%

In the review of the clinical trial it concluded the the CBD:THC offers “some efficacy” in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme with used in conjunction with dose- intense temozolomide.

Appraising the “entourage effect”: Antitumor action of a pure cannabinoid versus a botanical drug preparation in preclinical models of breast cancer.

The isolated THC or whole plant botanical preparation: 1. along with tamoxifen was found to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells 2. when used with chemotherapy gave longer time between recurrences

Isolated THC activates the CB2R (cannabinoid 2 receptor of ER+/PR+ HER2-) cancerous cells which turns on an immune response to kill the cancerous cells.

When the whole plant botanical preparation is used on the same cancerous cells: it is more effective in decreasing the cancerous cell growth and activity through multiple different mechanisms not just the CB2R.

Triple negative breast cancer is difficult to target because the cancerous cells put out no obvious distress signals that can be targeted specifically, meaning we must use a more broad spectrum chemotherapy that kills cancer cells but also healthy cells alike.

When using cisplatin (chemotherapy) in combination with either the THC or whole plant botanical preparation the cancerous cells growth and activity declined significantly.

The whole plant botanical preparation in combination with chemotherapy was more effective at decreasing cancerous cell growth and activity than the isolated THC in combination with chemotherapy.

THC isolated was more effective in activating the CB2R to activate the immune response.

Whole plant botanical uses a multitude of different immunological responses to decrease cancer cell growth and activity.

https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1469-8137.2002.00482.x17