Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QW United Kingdom (D.J.L-S., D.S.B, C.J.H.); Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA United Kingdom (N.R., M.Z., A.G.S.); Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3RA United Kingdom (N.R., J.S.D.); and Department of Engineering, University o...

Cb2 is a novel protooncogene encoding the peripheral cannabinoid receptor. Previous studies demonstrated that 2 distinct noncoding first exons exist: exon-1A and exon-1B, which both splice to protein-coding exon-2. We demonstrate that in retrovirally induced murine myeloid leukemia cells with proviral insertion in Cb2, exon-1B/exon-2 Cb2 messenger RNA levels have been increased, resulting in hi...

The identification of peripherally expressed CB2 receptors and reports that the selective activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors produces antinociception without traditional cannabinergic side effects suggests that selective cannabinoid CB2 receptor agonists might be useful in the management of pain. In a rat hindpaw incision model, we examined the antiallodynic activity of the selective canna...

The purpose of the current study was to apply a high throughput assay to systematically screen a library of food and drug administration (FDA)-approved drugs as potential ligands for the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2). A cell-based, homogenous time resolved fluorescence (HTRF) method for measuring changes in intracellular cAMP levels was validated and found to be suitable for testing ligands that...

Cannabinoids, endocannabinoids and marijuana use activates two well characterized cannabinoid receptors (CBRs), CB1-Rs and CB2-Rs. The expression of CB1-Rs in the brain and periphery has been well studied, but CB2-Rs have received much less attention than CB1-Rs. CB2-Rs were previously thought to be predominantly expressed in immune cells in the periphery and were traditionally referred to as p...

Cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana and their endogenous counterparts, act on the brain and many other organs through the widely expressed CB1 cannabinoid receptor. In contrast, the CB2 cannabinoid receptor is abundant in the immune system and shows a restricted expression pattern in brain cells. CB2-selective agonists are, therefore, very attractive therapeutic agents as they do n...

BACKGROUND Cannabinoid receptor agonists inhibit inflammatory hyperalgesia in animal models. Nonselective cannabinoid receptor agonists also produce central nervous system (CNS) side effects. Agonists selective for CB2 cannabinoid receptors, which are not found in the CNS, do not produce the CNS effects typical of nonselective cannabinoid receptor agonists but do inhibit acute nociception. The ...

Genetic and environmental factors contribute nearly in equal power to the development of alcoholism. Environmental factors, such as negative life events or emotionally disruptive conditions, initiate and promote alcohol drinking and relapse. The endocannabinoid system is involved in hedonic control and modulates stress reactivity. Furthermore, chronic alcohol drinking alters endocannabinoid sig...