07/03/2008 00:00:00
Cannabis could help smokers quit
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Smokers trying to quit could do so in the future with the help of
cannabis-based medicines, a university has said.
Scientists at the University of Nottingham are also looking to see
whether such medicines could be used to treat obesity, diabetes and
depression.
The research has focused on cannabis-like compounds which naturally
exist within the human body called endocannabinoids. Scientists believe
they could have a crucial link to addictive behaviour.
Dr Steve Alexander, associate professor at the university's School of
Biomedical Sciences, said: "In terms of getting better medicines the
endocannabinoid system has a lot to offer.
"The range of cannabis-related medicines is currently limited, but by
increasing our knowledge in this area we can increase our stock."
Professor David Kendall, a cellular pharmacologist at the university,
said: "The brain is full of cannabinoid receptors.
"And so, not surprisingly with diseases like depression and anxiety,
there's a great deal of interest in exploiting these receptors and in
doing so, developing anti-depressant compounds.
"We know that the endocannabinoid system is intimately involved in
reward pathways and drug-seeking behaviour.
"So this tends to indicate that if the link involving endocannabinoids
and the reward pathway, using inhibitors, can be interrupted, it could
turn down the drive to seek addictive agents like nicotine."
Cannabinoids have also been shown to bring down blood pressure and it is
hoped that related compounds can be used in patients with conditions
like hypertension.
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=13332
Author:
The Press Association via UKCIA
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