Study finds marijuana can kill skin cancer cells — but there are some big caveats
A new study found evidence that marijuana could potentially be used to fight skin cancer, slowing the disease’s growth and killing cancerous cells before they have a chance to spread. But the research comes with caveats.
Researchers say a marijuana extract called PHEC-66 had a “remarkable” effect on melanoma cells during their pharmaceutical company-funded lab study, recently published in the journal Cells.
The study was “partly funded” by MGC Pharmaceuticals, the Australian drug manufacturer responsible for developing PHEC-66.
The extract, which is taken from the cannabis sativa plant, damages certain harmful cancer cells and forces them to self-destruct, the researchers with Australia’s Charles Darwin University said, according to a Feb. 8 news release.
“The damage to the melanoma cell prevents it from dividing into new cells, and instead begins a programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis,” study co-author Nazim Nassar said. At the same time, researchers say PHEC-66 was “less likely to induce … (cell death) in non-cancerous cells than in melanoma cells.”
The study is a notable addition to a growing body of work suggesting marijuana can do a lot more than get people high. However, there are some important things to know.
First, the study was carried out in a laboratory setting on cells in vitro, meaning the extract wasn’t tested on humans or animals. Will it work just as well on a person instead of in a petri dish? And will it be safe? These are open questions.
Nitin Mantri, lead author of the study, emphasized that the safety of the extract needs to be tested before its “widespread adoption,” according to the release.
Researchers also don’t know at this point how a potential treatment could best be administered to a patient, whether by pill, injection or some other means.
“Further studies are required for a comprehensive understanding of its potential use in advanced-stage melanoma treatment, preferably involving more sophisticated models and assessing its viability within combination therapies,” the study authors wrote.
There’s more work to be done, but researchers are hopeful about the results to come.
“This is a growing area of important research because we need to understand cannabis extracts as much as possible, especially their potential to function as anticancer agents,” Nassar said.
“If we know how they react to cancer cells, particularly in the cause of cell death, we can refine treatment techniques to be more specific, responsive and effective.”
Researchers hope to begin animal trials or pre-clinical trials next, according to the release.
Is cannabis use feeding anxiety disorders? Young men especially at risk, study says
Smoke rising from home was steam generated by thousands of pot plants, Maine cops say
Dog nearly kills owner in attack after being fed THC gummy, Michigan official says
