Bone Health / Medical Cannabis

[EDDIEKIRK]

CB2 Receptor Mutations Linked to Bone Health



September 7th, 2009 | by J.Marcu |



Genetic variations, polymorphisms, or mutations on the gene for the Cannabinoid Type 2 (CB2) Receptor have been linked to osteoporosis, low Bone Mineral Density (BMD), and hand bone strength in case controlled Studies (Yamada 2007, Karsak 2005, and Karsak 2009).



Most cannabinoid research on bone has been conducted in rats and mice. These recent case controlled studies in humans have established a significant association between CB2 gene polymorphisms/mutations to certain bone phenotypes; Mutant CB2 receptors lead to bad bones.



The first study (Karsak 2005) looked at CB1 and CB2 receptor DNA in a sample of French post-menopausal patients and female controls. The authors report that certain changes in CB2 receptor, but not the CB1 receptor, were strongly associated with osteoporosis. The authors claim this is the first study to find a link between the CB2 receptor and a disease in human patients. A study published out of Japan replicated these findings in 2007, in a group of pre and post menopausal women.



Furthermore, it has been speculated that CB2 receptor activation can inhibit atherosclerotic plaques. Atherosclerosis is a late onset disorder, that is inversely correlated to bone mineral density. If your bone density or strength starts decreasing, atherosclerosis progresses. So, CB2 receptor variations could explain the association between the two disorders. THC has already been shown to reduce atherosclerosis in mice by activating the CB2 receptor.



The third study on CB2 genes in humans, examined the role of CB2 DNA or genes on hand bone strength. The author took radio-graphic images and DNA samples from a Chevashian population, an ethnically homogeneous population of people of Bulgaric ancestry that live along the Volga river.



The authors found several recurring, small mutations or SNPs (Small Nucleotide Polymorphisms) were significantly associated certain bone phenotypes. Basically, a less functional form of the CB2 receptor leads to weak hand bone strength.



These studies have showed that the effects of CB2 receptor gene variations have been observed in three different genetic/ethnic backgrounds. Thus supporting a link between the CB2 receptors in humans and bone health. Drugs that activate this receptor are of medical value and importance.



While it appears that cannabinod receptor activation may be positively associated with bone health, no studies have been approved for observing the long term effects of cannabis use/ receptor activation on bone health. An anecdotal answer could be easily derived by comparing different measurements of bone health in long term cannabis users vs. non-users.



source: http://cannabination...to-bone-health/

<strong> Cannabinoids, Oleoyl serine & Osteoporosis - Raphael Mechoulam, PhD
</strong>

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The original version of this article first appeared in the Lab Bench Science Column of the West Coast LeafNewsPaper on June 4th 2010.



The Lab Bench



By Jahan Marcu



A research team from the School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, presented their preliminary cannabinoid and bone data at a scientific meeting in Anaheim, CA in April. Our results add to a growing body of scientific evidence, suggesting a prominent role for the endocannabinoid system in bone development. For the last year, researchers have been trying to reproduce and build upon previous work on cannabinoids and bone, specifically, by characterizing the effects of removing the CB1 and CB2 receptors from mice.



Few labs have published new discoveries regarding cannabis and bone. However, those that have are surprising so far. Some findings are so profound that the upcoming International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) meeting will have a special symposium to discuss the bone data produced by just a few laboratories.



Research shows that bone cells have cannabinoid receptors and produce endocannabinoids. Bone cells express a lot of CB2 receptors and nerves that traverse our bones produce CB1 receptors. The `anti-cannabinoid receptor, GPR55, is also expressed in bone.



These receptors appear to work together to regulate bone health. Some clinical evidence supports the role of cannabinoids in various diseases. The Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency (Russo 2004) is thought to underlie many treatment- resistant conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain. Recently, CB1 receptor mutations were linked to migraines, bi-polar disorder, and major depression (Monteleone 2010).



Now CB2 receptor mutations may be linked to lower human bone density and hand-bone strength. Research from Japan and France shows that mutations correlate to osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. The two studies looked at 2,626 elderly adults with and without osteoporosis. A study out in Russia analyzed the hand-bone strength of 574 adults and found that those with CB2 receptor muta- tions had weaker hand-bone strength (Yamada 2007, Karsak 2005, 2009). These all suggest that a less functional receptor is related to poor bone health.









MORE

Impact Of Cannabis On Bones Changes With Age, Study Finds

As reported in ScienceDaily, scientists investigating the effects of cannabis on bone health have found that its impact varies dramatically with age.




The study has found that although cannabis could reduce bone strength in young people, it may protect against osteoporosis, a weakening of the bones, in later life.




The team at the University of Edinburgh has shown that a molecule found naturally in the body, which can be activated by cannabis -- called the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1) -- is key to the development of osteoporosis.




It is known that when CB1 comes into contact with cannabis it has an impact on bone regeneration, but until now it was not clear whether the drug had a positive or negative effect.




Researchers, funded by the Arthritis Research Campaign, investigated this by studying mice that lacked the CB1 receptor. The scientists then used compounds similar to those in cannabis that activated the CB1 receptor. They found that compounds increased the rate at which bone tissue was destroyed in the young.




The study also showed, however, that the same compounds decreased bone loss in older mice and prevented the accumulation of fat in the bones, which is known to occur in humans with osteoporosis. The results are published in Cell Metabolism.




Osteoporosis affects up to 30 per cent of women and 12 per cent of men at some point in life.




Stuart Ralston, the Arthritis Research Campaign Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Edinburgh, who led the study, said: "This is an exciting step forward, but we must recognise that these are early results and more tests are needed on the effects of cannabis in humans to determine how the effects differ with age in people.




"We plan to conduct further trials soon and hope the results will help to deliver new treatments that will be of value in the fight against osteoporosis."