Marijuana's Key Ingredient Might Fight Alzheimer's

[BluntKilla]

The active ingredient of marijuana could be considerably better at suppressing the abnormal clumping of malformed proteins that is a hallmark of Alzheimer's than any currently approved drugs prescribed for the treatment of the disease.

Scientists report the finding in the Oct. 2 issue of the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

About 4.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, which gradually destroys memory. As more people survive into old age, cases of Alzheimer's disease are expected to triple over the next 50 years. There is no known cure.

The researchers looked at THC, the compound inside marijuana responsible for its action on the brain. Computer models suggested THC might inhibit an enzyme with the tongue-twisting name of acetylcholinesterase (also called AChE) that is linked with Alzheimer's.

AChE is known to help accelerate the formation of abnormal protein clumps in the brain known as amyloid plaques during Alzheimer's. This enzyme also helps break down the brain chemical acetylcholine, which is linked to memory and learning. Acetylcholine levels are reduced during Alzheimer's.

In lab experiments, the scientists found THC was significantly better at disrupting the abnormal clumping of malformed proteins. THC could completely prevent AChE from forming amyloid plaques, while two drugs approved for use against Alzheimer's, donepezil and tacrine, reduced clumping by only 22 and 7 percent, respectively, at twice the concentration of THC used in the tests.

"We're not advocating smoking dope, but if we can make analogues of THC, it could play a role in treating Alzheimer's," researcher Kim Janda, a chemist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., told LiveScience. "It would be nice to do more animal studies along these lines."

Past research on human brain tissues and experiments with rats have suggested that synthetic analogues of THC can reduce the inflammation and prevent the mental decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Newshawk: BluntKilla - 420 Magazine
Source: LiveScience.com
Pubdate: October 05, 2006
Author: Charles Q. Choi
Copyright: 2006 Imaginova Corp.
Contact: cqchoi@nasw.org
Website: LiveScience.com

 

[Blob]

No medicinal value, my ass! I don't see how the government can ignore all the research that says, "Hey...look what marijuana can do 10 times better and safer than current synthetic drugs."

 

[hossua34]

...but they still can't patent a plant! And therein lies a big reason it's still illegal. Pharmacuetical companies lobby to keep it illegal to preserve their profits...

 

[Stoner4Life]

shit...I'll be 50 real soon & just hoping I don't forget what I did with that joint.

 

[Stoner4Life]

I was young..... and stoned..... and on 'Petes couch' when I realized that mj was Gods gift to me. It actually did come to me as a revelation at that very moment, so simply profound it nearly sobered me up instantly, thank God my weed was good enough to pull me through the moment, yet allowing me to remember as well.
I say this because it really was at that moment I realized that other substances I had been previously or currently abusing were killing me while mj always felt deeply life enhancing and not harmful on any level. I knew that if I could change some things in my life that mj would be there forever as my one true medication. So I quit drinking, quit **** & ***** too. I'd tried to quit before and had tried everything from in-patient to private counseling.... AA....NA.... nothing worked til I decided for myself to quit. I could only answer to me and my beliefs....my faith, mostly in myself I'll add.
Damn I've strayed here.........

Marijuana is Gods gift to mankind, a wonderful substance for all to have and use with thankfulness.

 

[IshmarRodriguez]

thanks for the story S4L, I've felt simular about weed. I don't believe in a god or have any faith (except like you said, faith in yourself).

I don't think marijuana is a miracle drug per say, I think is it very scientific in nature. We just can't explore its benefits and harness its true powers because of its legal status.

There are certain people who are about profit, and not improving man kind. Our government is currently in a phase of profitsover people

 

[Carrie8300]

see....alzheimers is something I will prolly have someday.... both my grandparents had it...so if I live that long...I prolly will too. I hope that they do more research on this because if it works...then they need to do something...this is a NASTY disease...and I hated everymin of watching my grandrents loose their mind... One time I came over my grandmas and she was making "soup" which was really just a can of green beans...not even warmed up. It made me so sad. I dont like thinking about it. Down with Alzheimers!

 

[Marek]

great post s4l