Endocannabinoids News and Research

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Hebrew University announces launch of new Center for conducting research on cannabinoids

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has announced the launch of a Multidisciplinary Center on Cannabinoid Research.

5 Apr 2017

Endocannabinoid system stimulation may be potential approach to treatment of epilepsy, study shows

In a study published in Brain Research, biophysicists from the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and MIPT have shown that drug-induced activation of the endocannabinoid system of the brain leads to reduced or completely suppressed epileptic activity in test animals.

29 Mar 2017

TSRI scientists describe how key molecules in the brain work together to trigger intense anxiety

In a new study, researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have described how two important molecules in the brain work together to trigger intense anxiety.

13 Feb 2017

OHSU research suggests avenue for developing non-addictive treatments for chronic pain

OHSU research suggests an avenue for developing treatments for chronic pain that harness the medicinal properties of cannabis while minimizing the threat of addiction.

12 Jan 2017

Chronic consumption of western diet leads to overeating and obesity, new research shows

More than two in three adults in the United States are considered overweight or obese, with substantial biomedical and clinical evidence suggesting that chronic overconsumption of a "western diet" - foods consisting high levels of sugars and fats - is a major cause of this epidemic.

12 Jan 2017

Researchers seek clarity on how chronic cannabis use affects neurological activity

For those suffering depression or anxiety, using cannabis for relief may not be the long-term answer.

17 Dec 2016

Researchers discover enzyme in the brain that acts like switch to turn off obesity

You've tried all the diets. No matter: you've still regained the weight you lost, even though you ate well and you exercised regularly! This may be due to a particular enzyme in the brain: the alpha/beta hydrolase domain-6 enzyme, better known as ABHD6.

27 Oct 2016

Study offers clues to help develop new treatments for cannabis use disorder

A new paper in Biological Psychiatry reports that chronic cannabis users have reduced levels of an enzyme called fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH).

25 Oct 2016

Exercise can increase endocannabinoid levels even under chronic sleep loss

A research group at Uppsala University has investigated how levels of endocannabinoids - which target the same receptors as cannabis - are affected by short sleep duration, and whether acute exercise can modulate this effect.

27 Sep 2016

Endogenous cannabinoid plays crucial role in activating spermatozoa for fertilization

During fertilization, a sperm must first fuse with the plasma membrane and then penetrate the female egg in order to penetrate it.

30 Aug 2016

New study reveals conversion of oral cannabidiol to THC by acidic fluids in the stomach

A new study demonstrating the conversion of oral cannabidiol (CBD) to the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the presence of gastric fluids could explain why children given CBD to treat epilepsy had an unexpectedly high rate of adverse effects such as sleepiness and fatigue.

22 Jun 2016

Study reveals brain mechanism involved in switching between habitual behavior and decision-making

Not all habits are bad. Some are even necessary. It's a good thing, for example, that we can find our way home on "autopilot" or wash our hands without having to ponder every step. But inability to switch from acting habitually to acting in a deliberate way can underlie addiction and obsessive compulsive disorders.

27 May 2016

Vanderbilt study offers a glimmer of hope to alcoholics suffering from depression

A study by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is offering a glimmer of hope to alcoholics who find it hard to remain sober because their abstinence is hounded by stubborn, difficult-to-treat depression.

1 Feb 2016

TSRI scientists discover molecular ‘switch’ that could reduce nicotine addiction

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered that a lipid in brain cells may act as a “switch” to increase or decrease the motivation to consume nicotine.

19 Jan 2016

Liver's cannabinoid receptors could be targeted to combat liver cancer in some patients

A new study reveals that the liver's cannabinoid receptors could be targeted to fight liver cancer in some patients; and it offers a way to predict what treatments have the best chance of working.

23 Nov 2015

Love hormone may enhance pleasure of social interactions, UCI study finds

The hormone oxytocin, which has been associated with interpersonal bonding, may enhance the pleasure of social interactions by stimulating production of marijuana-like neurotransmitters in the brain, according to a University of California, Irvine study.

27 Oct 2015

Endocannabinoids can affect development of baby's pancreas

According to the latest research results from the Medical University of Vienna, endocannabinoids, cannabis-like substances produced by the body itself, can affect the development of a baby's pancreas. The study also highlights the importance of diet during pregnancy for the foetal pancreas to form.

23 Oct 2015

Cannabinoid receptors of the brain control aversive memories that are crucial for survival

Memory is not a simple box of souvenirs; it is also, and most importantly, a safety system for organisms. With the help of negative memories, known as "aversive" memories, we can avoid a threat that we have already confronted. Researchers from Inserm and University of Bordeaux have just discovered that the cannabinoid receptors of the brain control these memories that are crucial for survival.

26 Sep 2015

Northwestern University researchers identify molecular difference in male and female brains

Male and female brains operate differently at a molecular level, a Northwestern University research team reports in a new study of a brain region involved in learning and memory, responses to stress and epilepsy.

13 Aug 2015

TSRI scientists devise powerful set of chemical methods to explore protein biology

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have devised a powerful set of chemical methods for exploring the biology of proteins.

22 Jun 2015