PharmaCyte Biotech’s cannabinoid therapy may offer potential for childhood brain cancers

Reported research continues to demonstrate the anti-cancer properties of cannabinoids.

The article, titled “Spontaneous involution of pediatric low-grade gliomas: high expression of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) at the time of diagnosis may indicate involvement of the endocannabinoid system,” showed that activators of the endocannabinoid system offer potential therapeutic opportunities for children with pediatric low-grade gliomas (P-LGG). P-LGGs consist of a mixed group of brain tumours that represent the majority of central nervous system tumours in children. Some P-LGGs exhibit spontaneous shrinking after less than total surgical removal. For the first time, spontaneous shrinking of P-LGG has been suggested to be induced by endocannabinoids.

PharmaCyte’s CEO, Kenneth L. Waggoner, commented: “It is clear that PharmaCyte is on the right track to developing targeted therapies for deadly cancers. The research reported in the journal Child’s Nervous System, as well as other research, continues to demonstrate the anti-cancer properties of cannabinoids. We remain confident that Cell-in-a-Box offers a safe and versatile platform for targeted chemotherapy delivery to cancerous tumours in the brain.”

The researchers investigated molecular indicators of spontaneous shrinking in P-LGGs and found that tumors that remained stable or had spontaneous shrinking after surgery had significantly higher levels of expression of the CNR1 gene at the time of diagnosis. They hypothesize that high expression levels of CNR1 make P-LGGs more susceptible to the anticancer effects of normally occurring substances in the body known as endocannabinoids. By extension, plant-derived phytocannabinoid molecules, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), may provide similar effects through their known interaction with endocannabinoid receptors like CNR1.

PharmaCyte’s cannabinoid program at the University of Northern Colorado involves developing a bioengineered cell line that will activate a cannabinoid-based prodrug into its cancer-killing form and then encapsulating these cells using the Cell-in-a-Box encapsulation technology. When the capsules are implanted near the tumor and the cannabinoid prodrug is administered to a patient, targeted chemotherapy results. Prodrugs of THC and CBD are candidates for this program, and brain cancer is PharmaCyte’s initial target using this cannabinoid therapy.

Mark L. Rabe, MD, a member of PharmaCyte’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Board, commented, “It is fascinating to think the body has built-in anti-cancer capabilities in the form of the endocannabinoid system. Cell-in-a-Box offers an ideal way to leverage the endocannabinoid system’s power by delivering THC and CBD to brain tumors like P-LGG in a targeted fashion, with the potential benefits of enhanced efficacy and fewer side effects.”