Herbs may be the cure for ovarian cancer!
When it comes to treating this condition, existing medications are often limited in effectiveness and can cause significant side effects, prompting researchers to look for new options.
That’s why they’re exploring alternative medicines, including herbal-based strategies.
For example, a research group from Khon Kaen University examined the cannabis plant, which has been used to alleviate the side effects of cancer treatments.
Namely, they focused on the individual and combined effects of two cannabis compounds on human ovarian cancer cell lines: cannabidiol (CBD), which is non-psychoactive, and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is responsible for the psychoactive effects and “high” feeling of cannabis.
From a recent study published in Frontiers in pharmacology, the same research group showed that a combination of CBD and THC successfully killed a large proportion of ovarian cancer cells while sparing healthy cells in vitro.1
Their findings lay a foundation for alternative treatments for ovarian cancer.
To better understand the mechanisms behind these cancer-fighting effects, the researchers examined key cell signaling pathways.
In ovarian cancer cells, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is often hyperactivated, regulated by phosphorylation, and contributes to tumor development.
When the team tested the CBD:THC combination on ovarian cancer cell lines, they observed reduced phosphorylation of proteins within the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.
They also found an increase or restoration of a tumor suppressor protein, which may further contribute to the dampened signaling activity.
“Although our study is still preliminary, it lays an important foundation for future research into the potential applications of CBD and THC in the treatment of ovarian cancer,” said co-author Siyao Tong in a press release.
