Cannabidiol may prevent the development of breast cancer and its metastasis

When aggressive breast cancer begins to wreak havoc and spreads to the surrounding tissues, as a rule, the probability of survival and rehabilitation of the sick person is very low. Little is known about the complex genetic processes that occur in the last stages of the disease, and the number of treatment options currently available is very limited. CBD products may prove to be a viable method of fighting breast cancer.

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of this disease, which is why effective treatment is so important. The use of cannabidiol (CBD) for this purpose is therefore a very promising possibility. In recent years , many studies have been done that confirm the effectiveness of CBD in inhibiting the formation of tumors, the so-called carcinogenesis, but many more tests and experiments need to be carried out before the molecular mechanisms involved are clearly defined, because all these processes are very complicated. However, it has been proven that CBD's ability to control the Id1 protein is extremely important.

Receptor-independent effects of cannabidiol

It has been known for some time that the number of CB1 and CB2 receptors in the basic tissue types in breast cancer is pathologically increased. However, it has been proven that the mechanism by which cannabidiol would prevent neoplasia (unlimited reproduction of abnormal cells) is independent of the activity of these receptors, regardless of their number. The direct action of cannabidiol reduces the expression of the Id1 protein, which affects the likelihood of metastasis. So far, this reductive effect seems to be characteristic only of CBD, if only known (non-toxic) exogenous factors are taken into account. Prior to this discovery, a study to reduce the activity of the Id1 protein was associated with the use of antisense gene therapy that was unfit for use in living organisms. The therapy involves effectively "silencing" the ID-1 gene (encoding the Id1 protein) by creating unique nucleic acid "strands" that bind to the messenger RNA (containing the sense band) of this gene. The results of in vitro studies have so far proved to be insignificant. The CBD molecule appears to act as a natural antisense – a discovery that has sparked a small wave of excitement in the sea of oncology research. Id proteins (DNA binding inhibitors) are among the most important regulators of stem cell mitosis, and over the expression of these proteins at the main tumor site is associated with increased multiplication of mutant cells. For more than 10 years, the Id1 protein has been a well-known active element in breast cancer neoplasia: it interacts with cellular DNA, preventing it from binding to DNA-binding proteins, which in turn have the ability to repair, replicate and modify the structure of DNA, which is essential for proper cell differentiation. It is also believed that over the expression of Id1 proteins reduces the ability of healthy breast epithelial cells to differentiate into important daughter cells in the proper process of cell repair and regeneration. This can lead to abnormal multiplication and attack on surrounding tissues, even in the case of non-cancerous cells.

Previous studies confirm the positive effects of cannabidiol in breast cancer

In a 2006 study, different types of human breast cancer cells were treated in vitro with five natural compounds of plant cannabinoids, including cannabidiol, cannabigerol, cannabichromene, cannabidiol acid and THC acid. Cannabidiol (CBD) proved to be the most effective inhibitor (slower) of cancer cell multiplication, bringing the desired results even at low molecular concentration. Additionally, human breast cancer cells were injected into mice to provoke tumor development after xenotransplantation (tissue transplantation between different species) in vivo. After intraperitoneal injection, CBD proved to be most effective in inhibiting tumor growth. It has also been shown to have no effect on healthy cells with normal expression of the Id1 protein. CBD is not only a means of bringing positive results in counteracting the stage of the disease – it is also a cytotoxin directly attacking and destroying various types of cancer cells when administered in vitro, although in vivo the results of tests may vary, since the action of CBD is highly dependent on receptors.

How can cannabidiol destroy breast cancer cells?

A 2011 study showed that by interacting with the beclin-1 protein, cannabidiol can actually cause apoptosis (complete self-destruction) of various cancer cell lines, rather than just inhibiting mitosis. It is also known that the beclin-1 protein plays a key role in autophagy, which is the cellular self-degradation of components that are not essential, which can lead to PCD. CBD has been proven to induce both autophagy and apoptosis of human glioma cells (brain or spine tumors), as well as leukemia cells and those found in other forms of cancer. The discovery of this complex effect on these processes of cell death (these are two types of PCD associated with breast cancer) is very important. In the past, it was thought that the action of cannabinoids is dependent on CB1 and CB2 receptors and vanilloid receptors (which react to heat and acids generated by organic compounds such as capsaicin, the active component found in chilli peppers). Although the interaction between vanilloid receptors and endocannabinoid receptors and cannabidiol leads to a reduction in the multiplication of cancer cells, the affinity between CBD and these receptors is relatively small – although it is now recognized that important interactions occur even at relatively low molecular concentrations. However, due to its low affinity, research on CBD mainly focuses on the more relevant activities associated with the lack of receptor dependence. Cannabidiol significantly affects apoptosis by interacting with key proteins found in the cancer cell, causing a decrease in the electrical potential of the outer mitochondrial membrane and interfering with the penetration into the cell of certain molecules crucial in the process of metabolism – this results in the destruction of the cell wall and its death. This leads to a significant loss of cellular energy, activating apoptosis, i.e. the process of self-destruction that occurs automatically in energy-deprived cells. CBD has a big impact on this process in the case of breast cancer cells, while not significantly affecting the healthy surrounding tissue. Although these studies have not been replicated in humans, the positive results provide sufficient justification for further testing and suggest that it may be a cure for one of the most debilitating diseases today.