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   Low doses of THC (cannabis) can halt brain damage, study suggests   
   Date:   
   May 30, 2013   
   Source:   
   American Friends of Tel Aviv University   
      
      
   Though marijuana is a well-known recreational drug, extensive scientific   
   research has been conducted on the therapeutic properties of marijuana in the   
   last decade. Medical cannabis is often used by sufferers of chronic ailments,   
   including cancer and post-   
   traumatic stress disorder, to combat pain, insomnia, lack of appetite, and   
   other symptoms.   
      
   Now Prof. Yosef Sarne of Tel Aviv University's Adelson Center for the Biology   
   of Addictive Diseases at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine says that the drug   
   has neuroprotective qualities as well. He has found that extremely low doses   
   of THC -- the    
   psychoactive component of marijuana -- protects the brain from long-term   
   cognitive damage in the wake of injury from hypoxia (lack of oxygen),   
   seizures, or toxic drugs. Brain damage can have consequences ranging from mild   
   cognitive deficits to severe    
   neurological damage.   
      
   Previous studies focused on injecting high doses of THC within a very short   
   time frame -- approximately 30 minutes -- before or after injury. Prof.   
   Sarne's current research, published in the journals Behavioural Brain Research   
   and Experimental Brain    
   Research, demonstrates that even extremely low doses of THC -- around 1,000 to   
   10,000 times less than that in a conventional marijuana cigarette --   
   administered over a wide window of 1 to 7 days before or 1 to 3 days after   
   injury can jumpstart    
   biochemical processes which protect brain cells and preserve cognitive   
   function over time.   
      
   This treatment, especially in light of the long time frame for administration   
   and the low dosage, could be applicable to many cases of brain injury and be   
   safer over time, Prof. Sarne says.   
      
   Conditioning the brain   
   While performing experiments on the biology of cannabis, Prof. Sarne and his   
   fellow researchers discovered that low doses of the drug had a big impact on   
   cell signalling, preventing cell death and promoting growth factors. This   
   finding led to a series of    
   experiments designed to test the neuroprotective ability of THC in response to   
   various brain injuries.   
      
   In the lab, the researchers injected mice with a single low dose of THC either   
   before or after exposing them to brain trauma. A control group of mice   
   sustained brain injury but did not receive the THC treatment. When the mice   
   were examined 3 to 7 weeks    
   after initial injury, recipients of the THC treatment performed better in   
   behavioral tests measuring learning and memory. Additionally, biochemical   
   studies showed heightened amounts of neuroprotective chemicals in the   
   treatment group compared to the    
   control group.   
      
   The use of THC can prevent long-term cognitive damage that results from brain   
   injury, the researchers conclude. One explanation for this effect is pre- and   
   post-conditioning, whereby the drug causes minute damage to the brain to build   
   resistance and    
   trigger protective measures in the face of much more severe injury, explains   
   Prof. Sarne. The low dosage of THC is crucial to initiating this process   
   without causing too much initial damage.   
   Preventative and long-term use   
   According to Prof. Sarne, there are several practical benefits to this   
   treatment plan. Due to the long therapeutic time window, this treatment can be   
   used not only to treat injury after the fact, but also to prevent injury that   
   might occur in the future.    
   For example, cardiopulmonary heart-lung machines used in open heart surgery   
   carry the risk of interrupting the blood supply to the brain, and the drug can   
   be delivered beforehand as a preventive measure. In addition, the low dosage   
   makes it safe for    
   regular use in patients at constant risk of brain injury, such as epileptics   
   or people at a high risk of heart attack.   
      
   Prof. Sarne is now working in collaboration with Prof. Edith Hochhauser of the   
   Rabin Medical Center to test the ability of low doses of THC to prevent damage   
   to the heart. Preliminary results indicate that they will find the same   
   protective phenomenon in    
   relation to cardiac ischemia, in which the heart muscle receives insufficient   
   blood flow.   
      
   Story Source:   
   The above story is based on materials provided by American Friends of Tel Aviv   
   University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.   
      
   Journal Reference:   
   Miriam Fishbein, Sahar Gov, Fadi Assaf, Mikhal Gafni, Ora Keren, Yosef Sarne.   
   Long-term behavioral and biochemical effects of an ultra-low dose of   
   Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): neuroprotection and ERK signaling.   
   Experimental Brain Research, 2012; 221 (   
   4): 437 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-012-3186-5   
      
   Cite This Page:   
   MLA APA Chicago   
   American Friends of Tel Aviv University. "Low doses of THC (cannabis) can halt   
   brain damage, study suggests." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 May 2013.   
      
       
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