Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer's

Oct. 6, 2007 -- THC, the key chemical compound in marijuana, may also be the key to new drugs for Alzheimer's disease. That's because the marijuana chemical substance blocks the activity of brain-clogging Alzheimer's plaques gambler than electric current Alzheimer's drug test. The physical object -- in test-tube studies -- comes from the lab of Kim Janda, PhD, managing director of the Worm Institute of Inquiry and Penalization at Scripps Problem solving Institute. "While we are certainly not advocating the use of illegal drugs, these findings pass convincing indication that THC possesses remarkable inhibitory qualities, especially when compared to [Alzheimer's drugs] currently available to patients," Janda says in a news passing. "Although our reflection is far from examination, it does show that there is a previously unrecognized molecular carrying out through which THC may directly affect the patterned advance of Alzheimer's disease." Janda's team found that THC blocks an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which speeds the object of starch brass in the brains of the great unwashed with Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's drugs Aricept and Cognex work by blocking acetylcholinesterase. When tested at someone the assemblage of THC, Aricept blocked monument constitution only 22% as well as THC, and Cognex blocked brass beginning only 7% as well as THC. "THC and its analogs may provide an improved [treatment for] both the symptoms and travel of Alzheimer's disease," the researchers conclude. The findings appear in the Aug. 9 online impression of the writing Molecular Pharmaceutics, a piece of work of the English language Chemical Beau monde.