Cannabinoids as a Therapeutic Alternative in Alzheimer’s disease: A Brief Review of the Literature
Ubirajara Lanza-Júnior1*, Candida Aparecida Leite Kassuya1, Fábio Morato de Oliveira2, Cátia Rezende3, Maitê de Mello e Castro4, and Shafaq Nisar5
1Faculty of Health Sciences-Federal University of Grande Dourados-UFGD, Brazil
2Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Federal University of Jataí, Câmpus Jatobá – Cidade Universitária, Brazil
3Paulista University-Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
4Undergraduate student in human medicine-Votuporanga University Center-SP-Brazil
5Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a pathophysiological condition characterized by progressive neurodegeneration that leads to decline in cognitive functions and dementia. Although pharmacotherapy represents the main strategy in the clinical treatment of AD, currently available drugs have limited therapeutic effects and the undesirable effects of these drugs can often outweigh their beneficial effects. Studies with cannabinoid compounds have increased greatly in recent decades and the results of these studies point to the therapeutic potential of these substances in different pathophysiological conditions, including AD. The present work aimed to perform a comprehensive literature review on the analysis of the efficacy/effectiveness of cannabinoid derivatives in AD. The search for articles was carried out in the databases PubMed (NCBI), Virtual Health Library (VHL), Scientific Online Electronic Library (SciELO), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online – MedLine (PubMed), Scientific Electronic Library – SciELO and Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences – LILACS. Despite the limitations found in most studies and described in this work, medicinal Cannabis and its derivatives have beneficial effects in the treatment of AD, where the combination of specific Cannabis derivatives described in this review may represent a potential therapeutic option both in controlling symptoms and mitigating disease progression. However, more robust evidence that proves the real efficacy and safety of these compounds may support the idea of using these substances in the treatment of AD.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, Cannabinoid system, Cannabis, Cannabidiol, Tetrahydrocannabinol
Full length article *Corresponding Author, e-mail: ubirajaralanzajunior@gmail.com