A widely accepted animal model of inflammatory demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), designed for research on the neuroimmune response following exposure to CNS-restricted myelin antigens.
Published in Chapter:
Neurobiology of Cannabinoids and Medical Cannabis in Therapeutic Intervention for Multiple Sclerosis: Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of Action
Mohammad Uzair (International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan), Hammad Qaiser (Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan), Muhammad Arshad (Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan), Saneela Tahseen (District Headquarter Hospital, Pakistan), and
Shahid Bashir (King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia)
Copyright: © 2023
|Pages: 30
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-5652-1.ch008
Abstract
Cannabinoids, either phytocannabinoids or synthetic derivatives of medical cannabis, exhibit a variety of potential pharmacotherapeutic effects by acting on the endocannabinoid system, through interactions with the cannabinoid receptors (CB1, CB2, and other receptors). Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that causes spasticity, neuropathic pain, urinary bladder dysfunction, and sleep disturbance. Treatment with cannabinoids decreases the severity of disease in animal models of experimental autoimmune-Theiler's virus-induced-encephalomyelis or toxic demyelination. CBD anti-inflammatory effects decrease CNS inflammatory infiltrates, microglial activation, and cytokines IFN-γ, IL-Iβ, IL-17, or TNF-α, whereas Δ9-THC reduces spasticity. Add-on treatment with cannabinoids (Nabiximols, Sativex, equimolar concentration of THC:CBD) have demonstrated potential in alleviating the symptoms of patients with MS. This chapter reviews the evidence-based therapeutic effects of cannabinoids and their mechanisms of action relevant to MS.