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Compound In Cannabis Shown To Remove Toxic Alzheimer’s Protein From The Brain
by Alanna Ketler
An active compound found in the cannabis plant called tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly known as THC, has recently been found to promote the removal of toxic clumps of amyloid beta protein in the brain, which are thought to be precursors to Alzheimer’s disease.
These findings support the results of previous studies, which found evidence of the protective effects of cannabinoids, including THC, on patients with the neurodegenerative disease.
According to senior paper author David Schubert, of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California, “Although other studies have offered evidence that cannabinoids might be neuroprotective against the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, we believe our study is the first to demonstrate that cannabinoids affect both inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells.”
What Exactly Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that eventually leads to extreme memory loss and can severely interfere with a person’s ability to care for themselves and perform routine tasks. According to the National Institutes of Health, it affects more than 5 million Americans and is a leading cause of death. It is also the most common cause of dementia. Incidence of the disease is expected to triple over the next 50 years.
The Study
The researchers tested the effects of THC on human neurons grown in the lab that mimic the effects of Alzheimer’s disease within the brain. Researchers remain unsure of what exactly causes the disease, but it’s thought to occur from a buildup of lesions, amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. Amyloid plaques sit between the neurons as dense clusters of beta-amyloid molecules, which are a sticky type of protein that can easily clump together, and neurofibrillary tangles are caused by defective tau proteins that clump into thick, insoluble mass inside the neurons.
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Source: http://www.philosophers-stone.co.uk/?p=12564
