The Role of Cannabis Species on Oxidative Stress in Cancer Cells

Abstract

Many therapeutic mechanisms kill cancer cells through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, ROS plays a vital role in cancer cell signaling and metabolism, which is an irony. Cancer therapies can therefore target oxidative stress through varying mechanisms. The cannabis plant consists of many bioactive compounds with multiple beneficial health properties which have been overlooked for decades. It had been limited to illegal recreational use and legal pharmaceutical exploitation for the manufacturing of medicine. Cannabis consists of derivatives known as cannabinoids which target the endocannabinoid system in the body. Alongside its psychoactive effects, most of the cannabinoid compounds have potent therapeutic effects, one of which observed is the induction of oxidative stress in cancer cells, eventually leading to the cell death. This review discusses a brief account of cannabis and its derivatives and how they cause apoptosis in cancer cells by inducing oxidative cellular damage.KeywordsCannabisCannabinoidsCannabidiol (CBD)Tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC) anticancer propertiesCancer cell death