New study reveals mechanism of cell death in melanoma cells by cannabis extract
Source: MedicalXpress, February 2024
A cannabis extract has shown positive results in slowing down melanoma cell growth and increasing cell death rates, a new in-vitro study finds.
Researchers from Charles Darwin University (CDU) and RMIT investigated programmed cell death caused by a specific cannabis extract (cannabinoid PHEC-66) from the cannabis sativa plant.
The study that was part of a Ph.D. project by RMIT’s Dr. Ava Bachari found that the extract binds to receptor sites on particular melanoma cells, then controls the growth of cells at two pivotal phases and increases the amount of damage to the cells. The paper was published in Cells.
CDU pharmaceutical lecturer and co-author Dr. Nazim Nassar said this damage effectively manipulates the cell into killing itself.