The Covid-19 pandemic
With the Covid-19 pandemic still ongoing, it is essential to take into consideration every possible therapeutic opportunity: in fact, numerous studies have been conducted and research is open towards different methods of cure and treatment of the disease.
Recently, several studies have shown that CBD , the cannabidiol among the main non-psychoactive components of Cannabis Sativa L. , could be effective in reducing the inflammatory state caused by Covid-19 and the related respiratory damage.
The disease generated by Sars-Cov-2
The disease generated by Sars-Cov-2 primarily damages the lungs, causing respiratory complications that can lead to pneumonia; in the most serious cases there is the so-called "cytokine storm syndrome" or an infectious shock due to an hyper-activation of the immune system, in which there is an excessive release of inflammatory mediators, which also attack the healthy lung cells and those of other organs, causing a general failure of the organism. Furthermore, the presence of previous pathologies further aggravates the infection.
The CBD study against the Covid disease
In a 2020 study led by Professor Babak Baban of the University of Georgia (USA) published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine , it can be seen that CBD would seem effective in counteracting the symptoms induced by Sars-Cov-2, especially compared to exaggerated immune response and respiratory problems from ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), through interaction with an endogenous molecule called apelin. Apelin is important in regulating the immune system, central nervous system, metabolic and cardiovascular systems.
CBD appears to be able to interact with apelin, reducing the acute inflammatory state and therefore lung damage in the Covid-19 infection, by regulating the levels of apelin, both in the blood and in the lung tissue.
Another CBD study
In another study conducted by a group of Canadian researchers from the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, published in the journal Preprints , with the collaboration of experts from the companies Pathway Rx and Swysh Inc, about 400 different strains of cannabis were analyzed and a dozen which appear promising in preventing Sars-CoV-2 infection.
“According to our results, some samples reduced the number of ACE-2 receptors (the receptor responsible for the entry of the virus into the body) by 73%, greatly reducing the possibility of contracting the virus,” explains Igor Kovalchuk, CEO of Pathway Rx, specifying that however further studies on the subject will be necessary before using Cannabis-based therapies.
Another interesting study on the subject was conducted at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel, once again revealing that CBD "has a positive impact on a number of inflammatory markers that arise with Covid-19 patients ".
Study conclusions
The study showed that CBD is able to reduce the turbulent inflammatory process, which can often lead to the death of Covid-19 patients.
Of the 11 patients in the study, eight were discharged from the hospital within 7 to 30 days, although the other three participants died of complications from Covid-19.
Dr Moshe Yeshurun, the head of the bone marrow transplant unit at the facility, along with Dr Ilia Kagan, the head of the respiratory intensive care unit, reiterated that the small number of participants prevents them from "drawing firm conclusions about effect of CBD on the course of the disease".
Further research is therefore important to explore this topic, including a larger number of patients and a control group in order to better evaluate patient outcomes.
Sources
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcmm.15883
In Search of Preventative Strategies: Novel Anti-Inflammatory