Cannabinoids: Pharmacological profile of promising molecules

Cannabinoid research has gained remarkable interest in the past ten years after the discoveries of endogenous compounds with cannabimimetic activity and identification of their molecular targets, CB1 and CB2 receptors. Subsequently, attention has focused on putative therapeutic applications of cannabinoids. The non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD), some analogues of natural cannabinoids and their metabolites, antagonists at the cannabinoid receptors and modulators of the endogenous cannabinoid system are also promising candidates for clinical research and therapeutic uses. There is evidence that besides the two cannabinoid receptor subtypes cloned so far additional cannabinoid receptor subtypes and vanilloid receptors are involved in the complex physiological functions of the cannabinoid system that include motor coordination, memory procession, control of appetite, pain modulation and neuroprotection. Properties of cannabinoids that might be of therapeutic use include analgesia, asthma, atherosclerosis, dystonia, epilepsy, digestive diseases, gliomas, hepatitis C, Huntington's disease, leukemia, skin tumors, methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Parkinson's disease, muscle relaxation, immunosuppression, anti-inflammation, anti-allergic effects, sedation, improvement of mood, stimulation of appetite, anti-emesis, lowering of intraocular pressure, and bronchodilation effects. Although the results of cannabinoid research and clinical trials with cannibinergic compounds have been confusing, the vast therapeutic potential of these compounds are only just beginning to be appreciated.