Abstract
The success of cannabinoids with chronic neuropathic pain and anxiety has been demonstrated in a multitude of studies. With the high availability of a non-intoxicating compound, cannabidiol (CBD), an over-the-counter medication, has generated heightened interest in its use in the field of oncology. This review focuses on the widespread therapeutic potential of CBD with regard to enhanced wound healing, lowered toxicity profiles of chemotherapeutics, and augmented antitumorigenic effects. The current literature is sparse with regard to determining the clinically relevant concentrations of CBD given the biphasic nature of the compound’s response. Therefore, there is an imminent need for further dose-finding studies in order to determine the optimal dose of CBD for both intermittent and regular users. We address the potential influence of regular or occasional CBD usage on therapeutic outcomes in ovarian cancer patients. Additionally, as the development of chemoresistance in ovarian cancer results in treatment failure, the potential for CBD to augment the efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutic and epigenetic drugs is a topic of significant importance. Our review is focused on the widespread therapeutic potential of CBD and whether or not a synergistic role exists in combination with epigenetic and classic chemotherapy medications.
Highlights
As there is insufficient data evaluating the synergistic effects of cannabinoids with cancer treatments, we aim to review the immunomodularity properties of cannabidiol (CBD) and whether or not its use in conjunction with immune or chemotherapy has a synergistic effect on drug cytotoxicity
Studies have demonstrated a focal decrease in tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) production with the use of CBD, among reduction in IL-1 and TNF-α in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which are inherently known to augment anti-apoptotic molecules in cancer cells [88,89]
CBD may hold significant promise with regards to both monotherapy and combined treatment when used in conjunction with standard chemotherapeutics as well as with epigenetic and immunotherapy
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Despite optimal cytoreduction and systemic chemotherapy, approximately 70% of patients with advanced stage disease will recur in the first 3 years [4]. Novel targeted therapies such as immunotherapy and epigenetics have been topics of more recent discussion [5,6,7]. Despite the paucity of the studies, this trend is likely to continue in the setting of a worsening opioid crisis (given that approximately 69.5% of drug overdose deaths were due to opioids in 2018 alone), suggesting that clinicians are seeking alternative sources of analgesia, especially with regard to cancer-related pain [13,14]. We hope to gain insight into whether or not the use of CBD with epigenetic therapy could enhance response rates at clinically relevant dosages
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