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 studied] and proteins responsible for their metabolism, is involved in several physiological processes. Endocannabinoids modulate neuronal, glial and endothelial cell function and exert neuromodulatory, anti-excitotoxic, antiinflammatory and vasodilatory effects. They have been found to exert neuroprotection in several conditions, such as cerebral ischemia, brain injury, neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity linked to seizure activity and associated neurodegeneration. The endocannabinoid system and its pharmacological modulation is a promising field for the therapeutic intervention at a wide spectrum of diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s chorea, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and epilepsy. The purpose of this review is to present the available research and clinical data, up to date, regarding therapeutic perspectives of the endocannabinoid system in such neurodegenerative diseases. Correspondence to: Panagiotis Zogopoulos, Department of Neurosurgery, Metropolitan Hospital, 69 Vosporou str., Athens, Greece, Tel: +306976053555; E-mail: [email protected]