Synthetic THC kills leukemia cancer cells in lab study
Published 24 Feb 2016
Marijuana-like drug shows promise as “low-toxic” leukemia treatment
A new study published in the journal “BMC Cancer” has found that the synthetic THC drug dronabinol kills leukemia cancer cells.
THC is the active compound found in marijuana. Dronabinol is an FDA-approved synthetic THC medication prescribed to treat side effects of chemotherapy treatment in patients with cancer.
German researchers tested how effectively dronabinol killed leukemia cells and found that synthetic THC had “remarkable anti-proliferative” effects “in a broad spectrum of acute leukemia cell lines.”
The findings suggest cannabinoids offer “a low-toxic therapy option” for people with cancer, as reported by Paul Armetto, Deputy Director at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
“Our study provides rigorous data to support clinical evaluation of THC as a low-toxic therapy option in a well defined subset of acute leukemia patients,” researchers concluded.
These findings add to a growing body of research that suggests cannabis may be a promising treatment for various cancer types.
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