CBD, a compound found in marijuana, may help stop the spread of breast cancer cells throughout the body, a U.S. study suggested.

Sean D. McAllister, a cancer researcher at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco, said the marijuana compound could be the first non-toxic agent to show promise in treating metastatic forms of breast cancer.

"Right now we have a limited range of options in treating aggressive forms of cancer," McAllister said in a statement. "Those treatments, such as chemotherapy, can be effective but they can also be extremely toxic and difficult for patients. This compound offers the hope of a non-toxic therapy that could achieve the same results without any of the painful side effects."

The study, published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, used CBD to inhibit the activity of the gene Id-1, which is believed to be responsible for the aggressive spread of cancer cells throughout the body.

Unlike THC, an ingredient also isolated from marijuana, CBD doesn't have psychoactive properties. The researchers point out that this isn't a recommendation for people with breast cancer to smoke marijuana.

McAllister said it was highly unlikely that effective concentrations of CBD could be reached by smoking marijuana.  // Copyright 2007 by United Press International



Publication date: 20 November 2007   

Source:

Archive