Study Finds Cannabis Extract Can Eradicate Melanoma Skin Cancer Cells
- Cannabis News
- Cannabutter Digest
A new study has found that an extract from cannabis has the potential to be used in the battle against melanoma skin cancer.
Forbes reported details of the in-vitro research that was conducted by teams from Charles Darwin University and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and published in the Cells journal.
The study focused on a cannabis extract known as cannabinoid PHEC-66, which is a concentrated form developed by MGC Pharmaceuticals in Australia. It was found to have a deadly effect on melanoma cells in a laboratory setting, forcing them into a “programmed cell death” known as apoptosis.
“We know today how this extract attaches to the receptor on the cell surface, and changes the messages to the inside of the cell to manipulate the normal growth to force it to go into [a] death progress,” said the study’s co-author, Nazim Nassar.
By attaching to the receptor sites, the compound was found to control the growth of melanoma cells at two pivotal phases and increase the amount of damage to the cells. Additional research will still be required to further study the effectiveness of the treatment.
The study notes that while melanoma accounted for about 6 per cent of skin cancers, it was the cause of more than 80 per cent of related skin cancer deaths and there are currently limited options for pharmalogical treatment of advanced melanomas.
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