Posted on 09/13/2008 11:36:16 PM PDT by neverdem
A new type of drug could alleviate pain in a similar way to cannabis without affecting the brain, according to a new study published in the journal Pain on Monday 15 September.
The research demonstrates for the first time that cannabinoid receptors called CB2, which can be activated by cannabis use, are present in human sensory nerves in the peripheral nervous system, but are not present in a normal human brain.
Drugs which activate the CB2 receptors are able to block pain by stopping pain signals being transmitted in human sensory nerves, according to the study, led by researchers from Imperial College London.
Previous studies have mainly focused on the other receptor activated by cannabis use, known as CB1, which was believed to be the primary receptor involved in pain relief. However, as CB1 receptors are found in the brain, taking drugs which activate these receptors can lead to side-effects, such as drowsiness, dependence and psychosis, and also recreational abuse.
The new research indicates that drugs targeting CB2 receptors offer a new way of treating pain in clinical conditions where there are currently few effective or safe treatments, such as chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis and pain from nerve damage. It could also provide an alternative treatment for acute pain, such as that experienced following surgical operations.
The new study showed that CB2 receptors work to block pain with a mechanism similar to the one which opiate receptors use when activated by the powerful painkilling drug morphine. They hope that drugs which target CB2 might provide an alternative to morphine, which can have serious side effects such as dependency, nausea and vomiting.
Praveen Anand, Professor of Clinical Neurology and Principal Investigator of the study from the Division of Neurosciences and Mental Health at Imperial College London, said: "Although cannabis is probably best known as an illegal recreational drug, people have used it for medicinal purposes for centuries. Queen Victoria used it in tea to help with her period pains, and people with a variety of conditions say that it helps alleviate their symptoms.
"Our new study is very promising because it suggests that we could alleviate pain by targeting the cannabinoid receptor CB2 without causing the kinds of side-effects we associate with people using cannabis itself."
The researchers reached their conclusions after studying human sensory nerve cells in culture with CB2 receptor compounds provided by GlaxoSmithKline, and also injured nerves from patients with chronic pain.
The researchers are now planning to conduct clinical trials of drugs which target CB2 in patients with chronic pain at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which has integrated with Imperial College London to form the UK's first Academic Health Science Centre.
Source : Imperial College London
If G_d made it, promised it to us, and is readily procurable for free, no way it's eeeeebil.
And no one will want it. Why do people take Codeine instead of extra strength Tylenol. They both work the same for me, but one gives me a nice mild buzz.
You hit the nail on the head. People don’t really want ‘painkillers’ really. They want to get high.
It’s childish and pathetic.
Er................I smoked pot for a couple reasons and pain relief isn't one of them because, frankly, cannabis is useless for pain.
Count yourself as being VERY lucky. :)
What I mean is they don’t really do anything. I have found most painkillers don’t work for me.
If G_d made it, promised it to us, and is readily procurable for free, no way it’s eeeeebil.
G_d ????? I assume you mean God?
He “promised” pot to us? Where’d you hear that?
eeeeebil??? I assume you mean “evil”?
hmmmmmmmm like poppy plants?
Drugs aren’t evil....we use morphine all the time in hospice.
But the ABUSE of drugs is deadly. Yes even pot...well pretty much ANY drug. Even legal ones like say tylenol which can wreck your liver.
You sir are an idiot.
T. Package RN
Pot is deadly only if you can 1500 lb in 15 minutes then you can OD. If not you will fall a sleep and wake up fine.
T. Package RN
Care to elaborate on that ad hominem attack.
To say someone will take codeine to get high because Tylenol works just as well is an asinine statement. If that is true why would I have given my patient tonight 2mg IV Dilaudid if Tylenol would do the same thing.
i have a broken wrist. i was prescribed tramadol. it is pure evil. thank God i ran out of it yesterday. all it would do is knock me out 12-16 hours a day. granted, while i was asleep, i felt no pain, but, a painkiller without a narcotic high would be a dream come true for those with chronic pain. imho.
OK, sorry I guess that I misunderstood. Everyone’s body one reacts differently.
LL and TP, not to cause more a fight here, but I think there may be a crossing of wires here.
Post #4 (which I do not believe was LL’s) was a baseless statement about those who take or need pain killing medicines.
Redirect your fire?
WAIT, NOT AT ME.
The point I was making is the people who use their prescription drugs for minor things like a tension headache or toothache. As it seems you are a medical professional, you have obviously seen many patients who constantly ask for painkillers or keep pushing that morphine button until the are locked out.
I think getting knocked out is the reason why many people take pills when it comes to acute pain following an injury or surgery (I know sleep was the only thing that helped me)
This is true, but its not the high it is that people with chronic pain become tolerant of the narcotic and need more medication the to control the pain. Cannabis receptor are known not to become tolerant like opioid receptors. T. Package RN
What pain did you have at the time?
Why does this should like the lead-in to a zombie flick?
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