Medicines derived from cannabis may cure addictions

Smokers trying to quit in the future could do it with the help of cannabis based medicines, according to research from The University of Nottingham.

Teams of pharmacologists, studying the cannabis-like compounds which exist naturally in our bodies (endocannabinoids), are exploring the potential for medical treatment. This includes treating conditions as diverse as obesity, diabetes, depression and addiction to substances like nicotine.

Scientists have known about endocannabinoids since the mid-1990s. This led to an explosion in the number of researchers looking into the future medical uses of cannabinoids and cannabis compounds.

Dr Steve Alexander, Associate Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences, focused on a number of these projects in editing the first themed podcast for the British Journal of Pharmacology.

Dr Alexander said: “It is clear that there is very realistic potential for cannabinoids as medicines. Scientists are looking at a range of possible applications.”

One of these researchers is Professor David Kendall, a cellular pharmacologist at the University: “The brain is full of cannabinoid receptors. And so, not surprisingly with diseases like depression and anxiety, there’s a great deal of interest in exploiting these receptors and in doing so, developing anti-depressant compounds.”

Addiction is a real target — researchers like Professor Kendall believe the endocannabinoids could be a crucial link to addictive behaviour: “We know that the endocannabinoid system is intimately involved in reward pathways and drug seeking behaviour. So this tends to indicate that that if the link involving endocannabinoids and the reward pathway, using inhibitors, can be interrupted, it could turn down the drive to seek addictive agents like nicotine.”

Because cannabinoids have also been shown to bring down blood pressure, it is hoped that related compounds can be used in patients with conditions like hypertension.

Dr Michael Randall, a cardiovascular pharmacologist at the University has looked at how endocannabinoids cause blood vessels to relax. “This could have many implications,” Dr Randall said. “The endocannabinoids appear to lower blood pressure under certain conditions; states of shock for example. If the endocannabinoids are of physiological importance, this could have real therapeutic possibilities.”

“In terms of getting better medicines the endocannabinoid system has a lot to offer,” said Dr Alexander. “The range of cannabis-related medicines is currently limited, but by increasing our knowledge in this area we can increase our stock.”

Increased Level Of Magnetic Iron Oxides Found In Alzheimer’s Disease

A team of scientists, led by Professor Jon Dobson, of Keele University in Staffordshire, UK, have found, for the first time, raised levels of magnetic iron oxides in the part of the brain affected by Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Their research has also shown that this association was particularly strong in females compared to males. The group speculates that this may be a result of gender differences in the way the body handles and stores iron. Though the results are based on a small number of samples, they give an indication that iron accumulation associated with Alzheimer's appears to involve the formation of strongly magnetic iron compounds. As these compounds have a strong effect on MRI signal intensity, with further study, it may be possible to use this as a biomarker for the development of an MRI-based Alzheimer's diagnostic technique. The study looked at brain tissue from 11 Alzheimer’s Disease and 11 age-matched control subjects. It showed, for the first time, that the total concentration of biogenic magnetite is generally higher in the Alzheimer brain (in some cases as much as 15 times greater than controls) and that there are gender-based differences, with Alzheimer’s Disease with female subjects having significantly higher concentrations than all other groups. Professor Dobson said: “Iron accumulation and dysregulation of iron transport and storage has been found to be associated with many other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease (HD), multiple sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In recent years, a hereditary neurodegenerative disease, neuroferritinopathy, has been linked to a mutation in the gene encoding for the ferritn light polypeptide. This direct link between neurodegeneration in the basal ganglia and ferritin, the body’s primary iron storage protein, results in the accumulation of iron in the brain and symptoms similar to HD. “There is still little known about the chemical form of iron associated with these diseases, its role in neurodegeneration (if any) and its origin. Investigations of brain iron based on histochemical staining techniques have generally ignored its chemical state.” This study shows a clear correlation in the concentration and the size of the biogenic magnetite in both the Alzheimer disease and control groups. It is also notable that the largest magnetite concentrations and smallest particles are all from Alzheimer disease subjects, and that the data from the control subjects follow the same trend. This implies that the genesis of the biogenic magnetite may be the same in all cases, but that in Alzheimer Disease it may be more indicative of an accelerated process. Professor Dobson added: “We speculate that magnetite formation within the ferritin core may occur generally in the brain, perhaps associated with aging, and that the process may become abnormal and uncontrolled in the Alzheimer brain. At this stage, this should be considered a working hypothesis and needs to be examined in larger studies. It appears, however, that elevated levels of magnetic iron oxides, which include reactive Fe2+, are present in AD tissue, a finding that lends weight to the suggestion that redox-active iron may play a role in neurodegenerative disease." The research team also included Quentin Pankhurst, London Centre for Nanotechnology and Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College, London; Dimitri Hautot, Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, and Nadeem Khan, Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London. A paper on the study, Increased Levels of Magnetic Compunds in Alzheimer’s Disease, is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (Volume 13:1).

What's Good for the Heart May Be Good for the Prostate

Men who eat a diet low in fat and red meat but high in vegetables and lean protein and who drink alcohol in moderation may not just be doing their hearts a favor. A new study shows that such a heart-healthy diet may also be good for the prostate.

Specifically, such a diet significantly decreases the risk of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. The bothersome condition is associated with frequent and painful urination that affects about half of all men by the time they reach 50 and nearly all men by age 70. These findings by lead author Alan Kristal, Dr PH, and colleagues are published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

The researchers found that a high-fat diet increased the risk of benign enlargement of the prostate by 31 percent, and that daily consumption of red meat increased the risk by 38 percent. The study also found that eating four or more servings of vegetables daily was associated with a 32 percent reduction in risk, consuming high amounts of lean protein (about 20 percent of daily calorie intake) was associated with a 15 percent risk reduction, and that regular, moderate alcohol consumption (no more than two drinks a day) was associated with a 38 percent decline in BPH risk.

"It is known that obesity increases the risk of BPH. The dietary pattern that is associated with obesity among men in the United States is high fat consumption. The results of this study clearly show a link between a high-fat diet and increased risk of BPH," said Kristal, member and associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center.

Prostate enlargement puts pressure on the urethra, which makes it difficult to empty the bladder completely, which in turn results in the frequent urge to urinate. BPH is also associated with constant contraction of the prostate gland's smooth-muscle tissue, which also puts pressure on the urethra.

The mechanisms behind excess fat intake and increased risk of BPH are not clearly established, but likely factors include chronic inflammation and changes in steroid hormones.

"We don't really know how it's working but it's pretty clear that eating a high amount of fat -- and it doesn't appear to matter what kind of fat -- increases the risk of BPH," Kristal said.

The study found small, incremental increases in BPH risk as fat intake increased, with the most substantial risk -- more than 30 percent -- among men who got about 40 percent of their calories from fat.

High fat intake increases the body's overall inflammatory response and it also increases levels of circulating hormones such as estrogens and androgens, he said, both of which may affect prostate tissue. In contrast, a low fat, high vegetable and moderate alcohol consumption pattern is associated with less obesity, lower circulating estrogens and androgens and less stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.

"It is possible that these physiological effects moderate both the hormonally regulated prostate growth and heightened smooth-muscle tone that cause BPH," the authors wrote.

The mechanism by which moderate alcohol consumption appears to protect against BPH may be due to its effects on the production and metabolism of testosterone, Kristal said. Moderate alcohol use lowers circulating hormones and decreases muscle tone of the prostate.

Few studies to date have examined dietary patterns and BPH risk, and most have been small and have collected very limited data.

For the current study, Kristal and colleagues assessed diet, supplement use and alcohol consumption in 4,770 men for seven years, 876 of whom developed symptomatic BPH. They collected the data in the context of a larger randomized clinical trial that aimed to determine whether finasteride, a drug used to treat BPH, would also prevent prostate cancer. The men involved in this analysis, all 55 and older, participated in the placebo arm of the finasteride trial. All were free of BPH symptoms at the start of the study and received annual screening for signs of prostate enlargement.

"Being able to study men in the placebo arm who weren't taking finasteride allowed us to look at factors other than finasteride to predict BPH risk," Kristal said.

The study found no evidence that specific supplements, such as antioxidants, zinc or calcium, were associated with reduced risk.

Public support for health record banking

A survey of over a million healthcare 'consumers' in the US has shown that over two thirds would welcome a health record banking system.

Described as a central repository, a health record banking service provides a private and secure location for each person to store their medical records from all sources via a deposit/withdrawal process. Upon enrollment into the system, individual consumers can deposit or withdraw medical records as well as control what data can be viewed by various clinical providers.
Read full story: http://www.bjhcim.co.uk/news/2008/n803008.htm

Space suit helps rehabilitate stroke patients

Researchers at the Institute of Medico-Biologic Problems in Moscow have turned a space suit originally designed to exercise cosmonauts bodies in weightless conditions into an efficient therapeutic agent for rehabilitation of patients after a stroke.
Read full story at: http://www.mtbeurope.info/news/2008/803006.htm

Alzheimer's Patients May Benefit From Cannabis-Derived Medicines

Cannabis-derived medicines may one day be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease which affects 417,000 people in the UK.

Professor Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, will present new findings to a group of international experts at a Cannabinoids Medicines Symposium to be held at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) in London on Monday, 10 March. The research, still at an early stage, indicates that memory loss, the main symptom of Alzheimer's, can be slowed down significantly in mice by some of the chemicals present in cannabis. The next step will be to initiate human trials to see if the same effect can be achieved on the human brain.

The research is promising for the millions of suffers of the disease and their carers. Alzheimer's disease is the commonest form of dementia, which affects an estimated 24.3 million people worldwide.

It is ten years since the RPSGB launched its protocols to demonstrate the therapeutic effectiveness of cannabis. These protocols led to the Government funded UK trials that looked at the medicinal benefits of cannabis for patients with multiple sclerosis and in the treatment of severe pain. Cannabis-derived medicines have subsequently entered the market and are currently available to patients in Canada.

Professor Tony Moffat, who is chairing the Symposium on Monday said: "We have come a long way in ten years and there is still a lot of research ground to cover. There is currently considerable interest in the medical benefits of cannabis and related compounds for a range of conditions including arthritis, multiple sclerosis and neurological pain. Although recent press coverage has focused on the abuses associated with the plant, cannabis-derived medications may offer novel opportunities in drug discovery."

New breast cancer test uses magnetic nanoparticles to detect cancer cells

A team from University College London has developed a new medical device called the ‘HistoMag’ that will make the early detection of breast cancer more accurate, cost effective and easier to administer.
Read full article at: http://www.mtbeurope.info/news/2008/803009.htm

Do low-fat diets cause obesity?

For those who wonder why Americans are heavier than ever, carb addicted, depressed, and suffering with heart disease, you need not look any further than the low-fat myth that has been perpetuated for the last 30 years.

Researcher Phoenix Gilman says, "I like to call this the low-fat myth, because there wasn't one, long-term study that verified the efficacy of such a diet. First of all, eating healthy fats such as fresh cheese, real butter, eggs, heavy cream and olive oil do not trigger insulin, the hormone that, among many things, is the fat-building/fat-storing hormone. Basic biology: insulin must be present to store body fat. Eating good, healthy fat does not trigger the insulin response."

Gilman goes on to say, "If you're eating a low-fat diet, you're definitely eating too many carbs/sugar. Typical low-fat breakfast: Cheerios, skim milk, blueberries, glass of orange juice and coffee with Splenda. Low-fat snack: yogurt or smoothie with banana, pineapple and low-fat milk. Yet these foods are nothing but sugar, i.e., 'simple carbs,' in the same family as a candy bar. Each one will trigger insulin, causing the body to store fat. The liquid carbs -- juice, milk and smoothie -- will affect blood sugar levels even more dramatically. Equally alarming, these foods, along with the caffeine and artificial sweetener, deplete serotonin, a major neurotransmitter that governs carbohydrate cravings and satiety, along with mood, sleep, etc."

Though the low-fat diet has clearly not worked, the fear of eating healthy fat still runs rampant: hence, our ever-growing rate of obesity, type 2 diabetes, thyroid issues, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. However, those who follow Gilman's research are proving where the truth really lies. Her clients are losing weight -- and keeping it off; reversing their type 2 diabetes; improving thyroid function; alleviating depression, insomnia, and ADD/ADHD; lowering high blood pressure; and achieving healthier cholesterol panels, thus reducing risk for stroke and heart disease.

Safety of multivitamins questioned

Although physician-scientists and supplement manufacturers are often at odds, they don't spend much time sparring over multivitamins. In fact, half the physicians on the advisory board of the Harvard Medical School publication Harvard Men's Health Watch report taking a multivitamin themselves. In recent years, Harvard Men's Health Watch has also endorsed these popular supplements, reasoning that even if they don't help, they won't hurt. However, the March 2008 issue of the newsletter states that a reappraisal of that advice is in order.

Harvard Men's Health Watch notes that some recent studies have linked multivitamin use to prostate cancer. More convincingly, studies have linked high intakes of folic acid to colon polyps, the precursors of colorectal cancer. Researchers speculate that high intakes of folic acid, which was first added to grain products in the 1990s, may have contributed to an increase in colorectal cancers in the mid-1990s.

What does all of this have to do with multivitamins? Now that folic acid is added to so many grain products, it's easy to see how a healthy diet, combined with a multivitamin, could boost a person's daily intake to 1,000 mcg or more, potentially increasing the risk of colorectal and possibly prostate and breast cancers.

In light of this research, Harvard Men's Health Watch suggests that the average man give up the multivitamin, at least until scientists solve the puzzle of folic acid and cancer. However, if you stop taking a multivitamin, consider taking a vitamin D supplement, the newsletter says. The typical diet for most men and women doesn't supply enough of this crucial vitamin, and while sun exposure boosts vitamin D production, it has health risks of its own.

Harvard Men's Health Watch is available from Harvard Health Publications at http://www.health.harvard.edu/men

Text messaging helps obesity battle in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Hammersmith & Fulham Primary Care Trust has successfully tested the use of text messaging to collect data on the weight of patients for an anti-obesity campaign.The Trust used iPLATO Patient Care Messaging linked to GP practice software to contact patients via text message.
Full article is at:
http://www.bjhcim.co.uk/news/2008/n802035.htm

Private treatment centres harming NHS.

The government programme of funding private treatment centres will contribute to NHS deficits, NHS service closure and staff redundancies, warn Edinburgh University researchers.There is no good evidence that independent sector treatment centres have provided additional capacity, value for money, or high quality care, argue Professor Allyson Pollock and Sylvia Godden in a report published in the BMJ
Full article is at:
http://www.bjhcim.co.uk/news/2008/n802034.htm