the endocannabinoid system: a putative role in neurodegenerative diseases

The Endocannabinoid System: A Putative Role in Neurodegenerative Diseases

BACKGROUND Following the characterization of the chemical structure of D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent of marijuana, researchers have moved on with scientific valuable explorations. OBJECTIVES The aim of this review is to highlight the role of endocannabinoid system in neurodegenerative diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS The article is a critical analysis of th...

Endocannabinoid metabolism in neurodegenerative diseases.

Endocannabinoids are endogenous lipid mediators contributing to a variety of physiological, pharmacological, and pathological processes primarily through acting on cannabinoid receptors (CB1R and CB2R), which are targets of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the major psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.[1] Although N-arachidonoyl ethanolamide is the first identified endocannabinoid, 2-arachido...

Therapeutic implications of the endocannabinoid system in neurodegenerative diseases

Over the last years, considerable progress has been made in understanding the role of the endocannabinoid system in the modulation of several progressive neurodegenerative diseases. The endocannabinoid system, comprised of cannabinoid receptors (type-1 and type-2), their endogenous ligands [referred to as endocannabinoids, of which anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are most stu...

The endocannabinoid system in targeting inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases.

The classical divide between degenerative and inflammatory disorders of the CNS is vanishing as accumulating evidence shows that inflammatory processes are important in the pathophysiology of primarily degenerative disorders, and neurodegeneration complicates primarily inflammatory diseases of the brain and spinal cord. Here, we review the contribution of degenerative and inflammatory processes...

The role of the endocannabinoid system in liver diseases.

Endogenous cannabinoids (ECs) are ubiquitous lipid signaling molecules provided by a number of central and peripheral effects, which are mediated mainly by the specific receptors CB1 and CB2. In the last decade a considerable number of studies has shown that ECs and their receptors play an important role in the pathophysiology of liver diseases. The EC system is strongly up-regulated during chr...

The Role of Epigenetics in Neurodegenerative Diseases