Cannabinoids to Improve Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Neurological or Oncological Disease: A Meta-Analysis

Antineoplastics for treating Alzheimer's disease and dementia: Evidence from preclinical and observational studies

As the world population ages, there will be an increasing need for effective therapies for aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders, which remain untreatable. Dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the leading neurological diseases in the aging population. Current therapeutic approaches to treat this disorder are solely symptomatic, making the need for new molecular entities acting on the causes of the disease extremely urgent. One of the potential solutions is to use compounds that are already in the market. The structures have known pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicity profiles, and patient data available in several countries. Several drugs have been used successfully to treat diseases different from their original purposes, such as autoimmunity and peripheral inflammation. Herein, we divulge the repurposing of drugs in the area of neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on the therapeutic potential of antineoplastics to treat dementia due to AD and dementia. We briefly touch upon the shared pathological mechanism between AD and cancer and drug repurposing strategies, with a focus on artificial intelligence. Next, we bring out the current status of research on the development of drugs, provide supporting evidence from retrospective, clinical, and preclinical studies on antineoplastic use, and bring in new areas, such as repurposing drugs for the prion-like spreading of pathologies in treating AD.

Chronic Cannabidiol Administration Mitigates Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Fatigue in Patients with Primary Hypertension: Insights from a Randomized Crossover Trial

Background: The chronic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) supplementation on factors that could impact the quality of life (anxiety, sleeping quality, memory, etc.) are poorly explored. Hence, the aim of this study was to establish whether chronic CBD supplementation will improve self-reported outcomes related to quality of life. Methods: In this randomized crossover trial, 64 patients with primary hypertension were assigned to receive CBD (225-450 mg) for 5 weeks followed by 5 weeks of placebo or vice versa, with a 2-week washout in-between the two. Self-reported outcomes were assessed using short form-36 (SF-36), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), memory complaint questionnaire (MAC-Q), and state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI). Results: Five-week administration of CBD, but not of placebo, resulted in improvement of ESS score (F = 6.738, p = 0.011), as well as fatigue/vitality (ΔCBD = 5.0, p < 0.001) and psychological well-being dimensions of SF-36 (ΔCBD = 7.4, p = 0.039). No overall benefit of CBD on quality of life was noted (p = 0.674). No changes were seen in total scores of MAC-Q, PSQI, or STAI (p = 0.151, p = 0.862, p = 0.702, respectively). No significant correlations were found between plasma CBD concentrations and any of the scores. Conclusions: Chronic CBD administration reduced excessive daytime sleepiness, despite the fact that no change was observed in self-reported quality of sleep. Furthermore, self-reported fatigue and psychological well-being dimensions of quality of life also improved following chronic CBD use.

Therapeutic use of medical Cannabis in neurological diseases: a clinical update

The use of medical Cannabis has increased in recent years due to changing legal circumstances in many countries. Approval exists only for a few neurological conditions such as rare forms of epilepsy or spasticity in multiple sclerosis. Beyond that, however, medical Cannabis is used for a wide range of neurological conditions and symptoms. In Germany, in parallel with new legislation that has simplified the prescription of medical Cannabis, an accompanying survey has been implemented for which initial data are now available. In this context, our review provides an overview of the evidence for the therapeutic use of medical Cannabis in neurology, the potential benefits, and side effects.

Cannabinoids in Treating Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting, Cancer-Associated Pain, and Tumor Growth

Cannabis has been used as an herbal remedy for thousands of years, and recent research indicates promising new uses in medicine. So far, some studies have shown cannabinoids to be safe in helping mitigate some cancer-associated complications, including chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, cancer-associated pain, and tumor growth. Researchers have been particularly interested in the potential uses of cannabinoids in treating cancer due to their ability to regulate cancer-related cell cycle pathways, prompting many beneficial effects, such as tumor growth prevention, cell cycle obstruction, and cell death. Cannabinoids have been found to affect tumors of the brain, prostate, colon and rectum, breast, uterus, cervix, thyroid, skin, pancreas, and lymph. However, the full potential of cannabinoids is yet to be understood. This review discusses current knowledge on the promising applications of cannabinoids in treating three different side effects of cancer-chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, cancer-associated pain, and tumor development. The findings suggest that cannabinoids can be used to address some side effects of cancer and to limit the growth of tumors, though a lack of supporting clinical trials presents a challenge for use on actual patients. An additional challenge will be examining whether any of the over one hundred naturally occurring cannabinoids or dozens of synthetic compounds also exhibit useful clinical properties. Currently, clinical trials are underway; however, no regulatory agencies have approved cannabinoid use for any cancer symptoms beyond antinausea.