Patumthani, Thailand: The administration of THC inhibits cell proliferation and induces anti-tumor effects on cholangiocarcinoma (biliary tract cancer) cells, according to preclinical trial data published in the May issue of the scientific journal Cancer Investigation.
Investigators at Rangsit University in Thailand assessed the anti-cancer properties of THC on both cholangiocarcinoma cell lines and surgical specimens from bile duct cancer patients.
Researchers reported, “THC inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis (programmed cell death). THC also … reduced tumor cell survival.”
Authors concluded that THC could be used as a potential agent to “retard cholangiocarcinoma cell growth and metastasis.”
A 2008 scientific review published in the journal Cancer Research reported that cannabinioids inhibit cell proliferation in a wide range of cancers, including brain cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, pancreatic cancer, and lymphoma.
A study published earlier this year in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics found that the administration of multiple cannabinoids showed greater efficacy at inhibiting the growth of cancer cells and inducing malignant cell death than did the exposure to individual agents.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, “The dual effects of delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol on cholangiocarcinoma cells: anti-invasion activity at low concentration and apoptosis induction at high concentration,” appears in the journal Cancer Investigation.