As marijuana's potential health benefits are under debate, new research has found that THC could have a powerful and positive effect on the brain.
Researchers at the University of Texas (UT) at San Antonio, Long School of Medicine, recently discovered that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana) could prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease - but only when paired with an anti-inflammatory drug called celecoxib.
Celecoxib is a selective COX-2 inhibitor that is commonly prescribed for arthritis and pain.
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While THC has previously been shown to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, it's also been linked to negative effects on the brain, particularly in learning and memory, according to a UT Health press release.
Combining THC with an anti-inflammatory drug, however, could provide the same benefits with fewer negative side effects.
The study, which was published in the journal Aging and Disease, paired low-dose THC extract with celecoxib, which was administered to mice daily for 30 days.
The mice received the treatments before the development of memory symptoms to measure the impact on preventing or delaying Alzheimer's.
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The results showed improved cognition, learning and memory, as well as decreased markers of neuroinflammation and reduced Alzheimer's-related brain pathology, the release stated.
Although THC alone had the same results, it also increased inflammatory signals, while the combination dosage did not.
"What really mattered was behavior. If cognition is not improved, then the treatment doesn't matter. And that's where the combination clearly worked better than THC alone," noted lead study author Chu Chen, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology.
Years of research led Chen to connect the dots on how THC can manipulate the brain and why it's difficult to use safely for neurological conditions, according to UT Health.
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"When THC is given, it unexpectedly increases COX-2 in the brain. That increase is closely associated with learning and memory impairment," Chen said.
Both THC and celecoxib are FDA-approved for use in humans, which could provide a "real advantage" in moving along to clinical trials, according to UT Health.
Future studies will investigate whether the drug combination can slow disease progression or reverse deficits after symptoms have appeared.
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"This work has taken many years. But now we're at a point where basic neuroscience discoveries are pointing toward something that could realistically move into the clinic," Chen said.
Dr. Paul Saphier, a neurosurgeon and founder of Coaxial Neurosurgical Specialists in New Jersey, called this research an "exciting breakthrough with a huge potential impact for patients and their families."
"Neurocognitive deterioration has been linked to conditions that cause inflammation within the brain - prior brain bleeds, strokes, tumors and infections," he told Fox News Digital. "We also know that the buildup of the plaques related to Alzheimer's [beta-amyloid plaques] are the result of chronic inflammation."
"So, it makes sense that this combination therapy [might] help limit the production of this amyloid and thereby reduce the progression of the disease."
Saphier said the drugs' FDA approval status is "encouraging," as it may "ultimately ease the availability for patients, if the trial proves successful."
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"I look forward to the results of this trial, as well as any future trials that look at limiting the effects of chronic inflammation within the central nervous system."
