Sailler S, Schmitz K, Jäger E, Ferreiros N, Wicker S, Zschiebsch K, Pickert G, Geisslinger G, Walter C, Tegeder I, Lötsch J. Regulation of circulating endocannabinoids associated with cancer and metastases in mice and humans.
Oncoscience 2014;
1:272-282. [PMID:
25594019 PMCID:
PMC4278301 DOI:
10.18632/oncoscience.33]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Endocannabinoids may modify cancer development, progression and associated pain. We determined whether cancer-evoked dysregulations in this system become manifest in altered tissue and plasma endocannabinoids.
METHODS
Endocannabinoid changes due to cancer were explored in a local and metastatic syngeneic mouse melanoma model. Endocannabinoid stratification in human cancer was cross-sectionally assessed in the plasma of 304 patients (147 men, 157 women, aged 32 - 87 years) suffering from several types of cancer at Roman Numeral Staging between I and IVc, mostly IV (n = 220), and compared with endocannabinoids of healthy controls.
RESULTS
In mice with local tumor growth, ethanolamide endocannabinoids, i.e., anandamide (AEA), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and oleoylethanolamide (OEA) were downregulated, whereas 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) was increased. Upon spreading of the cancer cells particularly 2-AG steadily increased in parallel to disease progression while OEA modulated cell migration. Results translated into humans, in whom cancer was associated with a decreased AEA, increased 2-AG and increased OEA correlating with the number of metastases.
CONCLUSIONS
The endocannabinoid system was subject to cancer-associated regulations to an extent that led to measurable changes in circulating endocannabinoid levels, emphasizing the importance of the endocannabinoid system in the pathophysiology of cancer.
Collapse