News in
Cannabinoid Research
Franjo Grotenhermen
nova-Institut, Hürth
IACM, Cologne (Colonia)
1
Topics
I
II
Tourette‘s syndrome
Antineoplastic properties
(anti-cancer effects)
III
IACM
International Association
for Cannabis as Medicine
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I. Tourette‘s syndrome
Gilles de la Tourette‘s Syndrome
Complex neurological-psychiatric
disorder
Permanently changing motor tics
At least one vocal tic
Disturbed behaviour (autoaggression,
disturbed attention)
No satisfactory therapy
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Course of
a TS
attack
Photos taken from:
Hartung S. "... sonst bin ich
ganz normal" - Leben mit dem
Tourette-Syndrom. Rasch und
Röhring Verlag, 1995.
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Study on TS
Placebo-controlled study (Medical
School of Hannover)
24 patients
Duration: 6 weeks
Dose: 7.5 – 10.0 mg 9-THC
Müller-Vahl KR, et al. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is effective in the treatment of tics
in Tourette-Syndrome: a 6-week randomized trial. (zur Veröffentlichung eingereicht)
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Yale Global Tic Severity Scale
(THC-Dosis =/> 7,5mg)
° = p<0,10
10
°
0
p = 0.077
-10
THC
Placebo
-20
9
20-22
Studientag
30-31
+1 Tag
+5 Wo
6
Global Clinical Impression Scale
(THC-Dosis =/> 7,5mg)
* = p < 0,05
,1
*
0,0
**
-,1
p = 0,079
-,2
-,3
-,4
-,5
THC
-,6
-,7
Placebo
9
20-22
Studientag
30-31
+1 Tag
+5 Wo
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II. Antineoplastic
properties
Long-term survival of rats (Chan et al.
1996)
Treatment of glioma (malignant brain
tumour) in rats with THC and a
synthetic cannabinoid (Galve-Roperph
2000)
Clinical study with THC in malignant
glioma in Spain (since 2002)
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Long-term survival of rats
Groups of 60 to 70 rats and mice
Dose for rats: no THC, 5 mg, 15 mg or
50 mg per kg body weight
Dose for mice: no THC, 125 mg, 250
mg or 500 mg per kg body weight
5 x per week for 2 years
Chan PC, et al. Toxicity and carcinogenicity of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in Fischer rats
and B6C3F1 mice. Fundam Appl Toxicol 1996;30(1):109-117.
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Survival rates for rats after 2 years (Chan et al.
1996)
50 mg
66
15 mg
68
5 mg
74
no THC
46
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
10
Tumour rates after 2 years (Chan et al. 1996)
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Uterus (female rats)
with THC
without THC
16
22
Breast (female rats)
31
27
Pineal gland (male rats)
40
1
Pancreas (male rats)
15
77
Testes (male rats)
88
0
20
40
60
80
100
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Glioma therapy in rats
45 rats with malignant glioma
15 treated with THC, 15 with WIN55,212-2, 15 without treatment
Cannabinoids cured 1/3 of the rats and
prolonged survival in another 1/3
Galve-Roperh I, et al. Anti-tumoral action of cannabinoids: involvement of sustained
ceramide accumulation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. Nat Med
2000;6(3):313-319.
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Treatment results – cannabinoids in glioma of rats
No treatment
Early death (< 18 days)
Prolonged survival (19-43 days)
Cure
WIN-55,212-2
THC
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
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Clinical study in glioma
Hospital of La Laguna (Tenerife)
5 patients with glioblastoma multiforme; later
more patients
Phase-I/II study to find out the best dose
THC for 2-8 weeks
Direct application at the tumour (operation)
Aim: Prolonged survival
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III. IACM
Founded in March 2000
Mainly members of the German ACM
Two regional sections, German ACM and
Austrian CAM
Regular members and associate
members
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Aims of the IACM
The IACM is a scientific society
advocating the improvement of the
legal situation for the use of the hemp
plant (Cannabis sativa L.) and its
pharmacologically most important active
compounds, the cannabinoids, for
therapeutic applications through
promotion of research and
dissemination of information.
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Regional sections
Members of one or several nations may found a
regional section to deal with regional affairs.
The sections may elect their own
representatives and choose their own
regulations. In regional sections all members
may have equal rights and decide on the
guidelines of the work, analogous to the ACM
in the German language region. Existing
national organisations may become a
member of the IACM, if goals and principles
are congruent.
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www.cannabis-med.org
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