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Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
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Readable research linked to original sources
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
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Readable research linked to original sources
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
36 articles
Newest firstPaediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) is a syndrome of infection-provoked abrupt-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or eating restriction. Based on the hypothesis that PANS is an epigenetic disorder of immune and brain function, a full-spectrum medicinal cannabinoid-rich low-THC cannabis (NTI164) was selected for its known epigenetic and immunomodulatory properties. This open-label trial o…
Open article record in new tab ↗Personalizing therapy using medical marijuana (MM) is based on understanding the pharmacogenomics (PGx) and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) involved, as well as identifying potential epigenetic risk markers. In this work, the evidence regarding the role of variants in phase I (CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP3A4/5) and II (UGT1A9/UGT2B7) genes, transporters (ABCB1), and selected neurobiological factors (AKT1/COMT) in differenti…
Open article record in new tab ↗Background/objectives Epigenetics refers to heritable modifications in gene expression that do not involve changes to the DNA sequence. Among these, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs play a key role in regulating gene activity and are influenced by environmental factors, including exposure to psychoactive substances. In recent years, it has been hypothesized that such alterations may serv…
Background Congenital biliary dilatation (CBD) is a prevalent congenital biliary disease in children, particularly in Asian populations, yet its etiology remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the genome-wide DNA methylation profile in the peripheral blood of children with CBD to identify potential epigenetic mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis. Methods Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles…
Open article record in new tab ↗Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID are chronic debilitating post-infectious illnesses that collectively affect up to 470 million individuals. Unlike illnesses of comparable scale, there are no validated blood or imaging tests for the clinical diagnosis of these conditions. Currently, these conditions are diagnosed through clinical exclusion, resulting in approximately 90% of…
Open article record in new tab ↗Several studies in both animal models and in humans have provided substantial evidence that early life stress (ELS) induces long-term changes in behavior and brain function, making it a significant risk factor in the aetiology of various mental disorders, including anxiety and depression. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that ELS in male rats (i) leads to increased anxiety and depressive-like symptoms; and…
Open article record in new tab ↗The primary focus of medicinal cannabis research is to ensure the stability of cannabis lines for consistent administration of chemically uniform products to patients. In recent years, tissue culture has emerged as a valuable technique for genetic preservation and rapid multiplication of cannabis clones. However, there is concern that the physical and chemical conditions of the growing media can induce somaclonal…
Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. Adequate pain control is often challenging, particularly in patients with chronic pain. Despite advances in pain management, drug addiction, overtreatment, or substance use disorders are not rare. Hence the need for further studies in the field. The substantial progress made over the last decade has revealed genes, signalling pathways, molecules, and neuronal…
Stress exposure is associated with psychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is also a vulnerability factor to developing or reinstating substance use disorder. Stress causes several changes in the neuro-immune-endocrine axis, potentially resulting in prolonged dysfunction and diseases. Changes in several transmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, glutamat…
Open article record in new tab ↗Environmental factors, including stress, that are experienced during early life (ELS) or adolescence are potential risk factors for the development of behavioral and mental disorders later in life. The endocannabinoid system plays a major role in the regulation of stress responses and emotional behavior, thereby acting as a mediator of stress vulnerability and resilience. Among the critical factors, which determin…
Open article record in new tab ↗Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in Western counties and its abuse is particularly high in male adolescents and young adults. Its main psychotropic component, the cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), interferes in the endogenous endocannabinoid system. This signaling system is involved in the control of many biological activities, including the formation of high-quality male gametes. Dir…
Open article record in new tab ↗Type-2 cannabinoid receptors (CB2, encoded by the Cnr2 gene) are mainly expressed in immune cells, and CB2 agonists normally have no analgesic effect. However, nerve injury upregulates CB2 in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), following which CB2 stimulation reduces neuropathic pain. It is unclear how nerve injury increases CB2 expression or how CB2 activity is transformed in neuropathic pain. In this study, immunobl…
Open article record in new tab ↗Cannabis is increasingly consumed by women of childbearing age, and the reproductive and epigenetic effects are unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential epigenetic implications of cannabis use on the female ovarian follicle. Whole-genome methylation was assessed in granulosa cells from 14 matched case-control patients. Exposure status was determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometr…
Open article record in new tab ↗COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which enters target cells via interactions with ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Here, we show AKT serine/threonine kinase-dependent epigenetic control of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression by high-cannabidiol (CBD) cannabis extracts and their individual components. CBD alone and extracts #1, #5, #7, and #129 downregulated ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in lung fibroblast WI-38 cells through AKT-mediated i…
Open article record in new tab ↗Background Cannabis use is a component risk factor for the manifestation of schizophrenia. The biological effects of cannabis include effects on epigenetic systems, immunological parameters, in addition to changes in cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2, that may be associated with this risk. However, there has been limited study of the effects of smoked cannabis on these biological effects in human peripheral blood cell…
Open article record in new tab ↗Cannabis is one of the most commonly used and abused illicit drugs in the world today. The United States (US) currently has the highest annual prevalence rate of cannabis consumption in the world, 17.9% in individuals aged 12 or older, and it is on the rise. With increasing cannabis use comes the potential for an increase in abuse, and according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAM…
Open article record in new tab ↗A significant proportion of the global burden of disease can be attributed to mental illness. Despite important advances in identifying risk factors for mental health conditions, the biological processing underlying causal pathways to disease onset remain poorly understood. This represents a limitation to implement effective prevention and the development of novel pharmacological treatments. Epigenetic mechanisms…
Open article record in new tab ↗Background Cannabis legalization is expanding and men are the predominant users. We have limited knowledge about how cannabis impacts sperm and whether the effects are heritable. Results Whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data were generated for sperm of rats exposed to: (1) cannabis extract (CE) for 28 days, then 56 days of vehicle only (~ one spermatogenic cycle); (2) vehicle for 56 days, then 28 days of C…
Open article record in new tab ↗Cannabis use alters sperm DNA methylation, but the potential reversibility of these changes is unknown. Semen samples from cannabis users and non-user controls were collected at baseline and again following a 77-day period of cannabis abstinence (one spermatogenic cycle). Users and controls did not significantly differ by demographics or semen analyses. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing identified 163 CpG sites wi…
Open article record in new tab ↗High doses of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis, have been shown to have anxiogenic effects. Additionally, THC effects have been shown to be modulated by genotype, including the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1130233 at the protein kinase AKT1 gene, a key component of the dopamine signalling cascade. As such, it is likely that epigenetic methylation around this…
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