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BRAIN CANCER
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.

- Victoria Colliver

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Pot-compound-shows-promise-vs-cancer-4145477.php

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