Pubdate: Wed, 26 Dec 2012
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388
Author: Victoria Colliver

COMPOUND IN POT SHOWS PROMISE

Scientists at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute
have found that a non-psychotropic compound in marijuana - called
cannabidiol - that has decreased metastatic breast cancer in early
tests has also shown promise in treating a deadly brain cancer.

The research, which was done in mice, builds upon previous findings in
cancers that express high levels of a protein called ID-1.

The study, which was published this month in the medical journal
Cancer Research, focused on glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain
cancer that expresses high levels of ID-1.

Similar to earlier studies on a type of breast cancer known as "triple
negative" disease, researchers found that cannabidiol inhibited ID-1
in glioblastoma cells in mice.

About 10,000 new cases of glioblastoma occur in the United States each
year, and the median survival rate is about 15 months.

The research is in the early phases. The scientists plan to test the
compound in conjunction with existing therapies in animal models
before starting human clinical trials. 
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