Cannabis sativa extract may hinder growth of melanoma cells, new study reveals

Regrettably, we are living in a time when cancer has woven itself into the fabric of our everyday lives, often proving to be a formidable adversary. The World Health Organization routinely disseminates data that is anything but optimistic. In 2022 alone, WHO reports show a worldwide total of 20 million new cancer diagnoses and 9.7 million lives lost to this devastating disease. Doctors have begun to refer to cancer as an emerging societal malady.

With such distressing data, every possible effort is being made by doctors, scientists, and specialists to combat cancer. It appears that recent research published in Cells may shed a beacon of hope. The study suggests that an extract from the cannabis plant has the potential to eradicate melanoma cells and hinder their propagation.

Despite melanoma accounting for only 6% of all skin cancer diagnoses, it is among the deadliest. It is accountable for nearly 80% of deaths associated with this disease. Notoriously known for its predisposition to metastasis and, worse still, its resistance to traditional treatment methods, melanoma poses a significant challenge.

Scientists from Charles Darwin University and RMIT in Australia bring promising news to the forefront. They have pioneered an unconventional treatment strategy for cancer. As per their latest study, they have crafted a hemp extract that not only halts the multiplication of melanoma cells but also instigates the process of programmed cell death.

"By inflicting damage upon melanoma cells, we inhibit their ability to divide and grow. Instead, it initiates programmed cell death, commonly referred to as apoptosis. This is an increasingly burgeoning area of scientific research, giving the urgency to understand the potential of hemp extracts, especially their anticancer properties. If we comprehend their interaction with cancer cells, particularly concerning cell death, we could refine treatment strategies to be more targeted, efficient, and potent," elucidated Nazim Nassar, a study co-author, in a media interview.

Prior studies initiated by scientists propose that certain compounds inherent to cannabis may carry anticancer traits, interacting with receptors in the endogenous cannabinoid or the endocannabinoid system. As per the geekweek.interia.pl portal, cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, extensively found in the central nervous and peripheral immune systems, impact varied intracellular signaling pathways. These pathways manage multiple processes, including gene transcription, cellular motility, and apoptosis.

In this avant-garde study, specialists from Charles Darwin University and RMIT in Australia examined the effect of the extract derived from Cannabis sativa on the proliferation of primary and secondary human melanoma cells. Their discoveries indicated that it restricts the growth of all melanoma cell lines.

"Clinical applications of cannabis extracts have potential in managing anxiety, cancer-related symptoms, epilepsy, and chronic pain. Intense research into its potential to eradicate melanoma cells is only the beginning. We plan to extend this knowledge to devise treatments for various cancer types," affirmed Nazim Nassar.