News in Cannabinoid Research

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News in Cannabinoid Research

• Franjo Grotenhermen
• nova-Institut, Hürth
• IACM, Cologne (Colonia)

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Topics

• I Tourettes syndrome
• II Antineoplastic properties
• (anti-cancer effects)
• III IACM
• International Association
• for Cannabis as Medicine

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I. Tourettes syndrome

• Gilles de la Tourettes Syndrome
• Complex neurological-psychiatric disorder
• Permanently changing motor tics
• At least one vocal tic
• Disturbed behaviour (autoaggression, disturbed
  attention)
• No satisfactory therapy

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Course of a TS attack
Photos taken from Hartung S. "... sonst bin ich
ganz normal" - Leben mit dem Tourette-Syndrom.
Rasch und Röhring Verlag, 1995.
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Study on TS

• Placebo-controlled study (Medical School of
  Hannover)
• 24 patients
• Duration 6 weeks
• Dose 7.5 10.0 mg ?9-THC

Müller-Vahl KR, et al. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
is effective in the treatment of tics in
Tourette-Syndrome a 6-week randomized trial.
(zur Veröffentlichung eingereicht)
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II. Antineoplastic properties

• Long-term survival of rats (Chan et al. 1996)
• Treatment of glioma (malignant brain tumour) in
  rats with THC and a synthetic cannabinoid
  (Galve-Roperph 2000)
• Clinical study with THC in malignant glioma in
  Spain (since 2002)

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Long-term survival of rats

• Groups of 60 to 70 rats and mice
• Dose for rats no THC, 5 mg, 15 mg or 50 mg per
  kg body weight
• Dose for mice no THC, 125 mg, 250 mg or 500 mg
  per kg body weight
• 5 x per week for 2 years

Chan PC, et al. Toxicity and carcinogenicity of
delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in Fischer rats and
B6C3F1 mice. Fundam Appl Toxicol
199630(1)109-117.
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Survival rates for rats after 2 years (Chan et
al. 1996)
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Tumour rates after 2 years (Chan et al. 1996)
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Glioma therapy in rats

• 45 rats with malignant glioma
• 15 treated with THC, 15 with WIN-55,212-2, 15
  without treatment
• Cannabinoids cured 1/3 of the rats and prolonged
  survival in another 1/3

Galve-Roperh I, et al. Anti-tumoral action of
cannabinoids involvement of sustained ceramide
accumulation and extracellular signal-regulated
kinase activation. Nat Med 20006(3)313-319.
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Treatment results cannabinoids in glioma of rats
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Clinical study in glioma

• Hospital of La Laguna (Tenerife)
• 5 patients with glioblastoma multiforme later
  more patients
• Phase-I/II study to find out the best dose
• THC for 2-8 weeks
• Direct application at the tumour (operation)
• Aim Prolonged survival

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III. IACM

• Founded in March 2000
• Mainly members of the German ACM
• Two regional sections, German ACM and Austrian
  CAM
• Regular members and associate members

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Aims of the IACM

• The IACM is a scientific society advocating the
  improvement of the legal situation for the use of
  the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa L.) and its
  pharmacologically most important active
  compounds, the cannabinoids, for therapeutic
  applications through promotion of research and
  dissemination of information.

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Regional sections

• Members of one or several nations may found a
  regional section to deal with regional affairs.
  The sections may elect their own representatives
  and choose their own regulations. In regional
  sections all members may have equal rights and
  decide on the guidelines of the work, analogous
  to the ACM in the German language region.
  Existing national organisations may become a
  member of the IACM, if goals and principles are
  congruent.

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www.cannabis-med.org