Minor cannabinoids show ‘promising anti-cancer’ effects, finds study

Minor cannabinoids CBG, CBC, CBN, and CBDV have shown promise as anti-cancer agents in the treatment of blood cancer.

Cannabinoids are now widely prescribed to palliative cancer patients to help manage symptoms, as well as the side-effects of conventional treatments such as chemotherapy. 

They have also shown potential in the treatment and reduction of cancer itself, such as reducing tumour growth, however, more research is needed to determine exactly which cannabinoids are effective in targeting which tumours. 

And while to date, much research has focused on CBD and THC, a new study suggests minor cannabinoids also present in the Cannabis Sativa L. plant also demonstrate anti-cancer properties. 

Researchers investigated behind a new study have identified anti-cancer effects of cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabidivarin (CBDV) on a multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer.

Multiple myeloma usually affects more than one area of the body, such as the spine, skull, pelvis and ribs. There is currently no cura, and although some people live with the diagnosis for many years, patients may become resistant to all available treatments.

READ MORE: Cannabis and cancer: everything you need to know

The researchers examined the cytotoxic activity of CBG, CBC, CBN, and CBDV in vitro in MM cells, their effect in modulating MM cells invasion toward bone cells and the bone resorption.

According to the results, they found that these compounds ‘inhibited MM cell growth, in a dose dependent manner’, with CBN, and CBDV identified as the most efficacious in reducing cell viability.

CBG, CBC, CBN, and CBDV also ‘reduced the invasion of MM cells toward osteoblasts cells’–osteoblasts are cells which form new bones and add growth to existing bone tissue–and bone resorption in vitro, while CBN was found to reduce in vivo tumour mass.

Previous studies support the findings that cannabinoids can reduce tumour growth in vivo and CBG, in particular, have been shown to decrease tumour growth in a mouse model of melanoma.

“Together, our results suggest that CBG, CBC, CBN, and CBDV can be promising anticancer agents for MM, due to their cytotoxic effects on MM cell lines and, for CBN, in in vivo xenograft mouse model of MM, and due to their beneficial effect on the bone in terms of reduction of MM cells invasion toward the bone and bone resorption (mainly CBG and CBN), the authors conclude.

“Further study is needed to better understand how phytocannabinoids work, as well as to better investigate their effects in vivo.”