PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

A peptide that allows cannabis-derived drugs to relieve pain without side effects

Scientists from the Proteomics and Protein Chemistry Research Group and the Neuropharmacology-Neurophar Laboratory have developed a peptide which is an ideal candidate for reducing the cognitive side effects of pain treatment with cannabis derivatives.

A peptide that allows cannabis-derived drugs to relieve pain without side effects
2021-05-20
(Press-News.org) An international team, led by researchers from Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain, David Andreu and Rafael Maldonado, has developed a peptides family that allows delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main component of Cannabis sativa, to fight pain in mice without side effects. The study, published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, was carried out together with researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ??the University of Barcelona, and the University of Lisbon.

At present, there are two main types of pain relievers prescribed based on the severity of the pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol) are often used to treat mild pain, while opioids are used for severe pain. These, although effective, have significant addictive potential. A therapeutic window is not covered between these extremes, as there is a lack of safe and effective drugs to treat moderate chronic or neuropathic pain (such as that caused by nerve damage for people with diabetes or herpes). In this scenario, cannabis-derived drugs have an excellent opportunity to provide relief, but their therapeutic use is limited by their side effects, including problems with memory and other cognitive functions.

THC produces analgesia by binding to cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors. However, these receptors interact with the serotonin receptor 5HT2A, and this interaction causes memory loss when THC is present. To address this problem, the interaction between the two receptors must be avoided. That is why scientists from the Proteomics and Protein Chemistry Research Group and the Neuropharmacology-Neurophar Laboratory have designed and produced peptides that interrupt the interaction between the two receptors, so the THC can ease pain without activating the serotonin receptor.

In a previous study, when researchers injected a peptide into the brains of mice, the memory problems caused by THC decreased. Based on molecular dynamics simulations and current pharmaceutical chemistry strategies, the researchers have optimized the original prototype by developing a smaller peptide with high stability, allowing oral administration while increasing its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier to access and act on brain cells.

After administering mice with the peptide orally, along with an injection of THC, they assessed pain threshold and memory capacity. Mice treated with both THC and the optimized peptide obtained the benefits of THC in relieving pain and also showed better memory compared to those treated with THC alone. "Our results suggest that the optimized peptide is an ideal candidate for reducing the cognitive side effects of pain treatment with cannabis derivatives," says Rafael Maldonado, Professor of Pharmacology in the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences (DCEXS) at UPF.

"Given the results obtained so far, the team is motivated to advance in the development of this promising candidate discovered," explains David Andreu, UPF Professor of Chemistry.

"The INNOValora programme will allow us to partially cover the proof-of-concept experiment in chronic pain that we need to ensure investors' participation in the project," says Maria Gallo, a PhD student from the Proteomics and Protein Chemistry group at the DCEXS-UPF, whose doctoral thesis recapitulates much of the project's experimental work.

"We envision the use of the peptide in combination with THC as the first drug approved by the EMA / FDA for the treatment of chronic pain," concludes Rafael Maldonado.

These results have been the basis for an international patent application that is expected to be transferred to the pharmaceutical sector once the preclinical and clinical validation experiments required by drug regulations are completed.

INFORMATION:

Funding

The work has been supported by the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange Programme, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the La Caixa Foundation and, now, the UPF INNOValora programme.

Reference article

Gallo M et al. Orally Active Peptide Vector Allows Using Cannabis to Fight Pain While Avoiding Side Effects. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00484.


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
A peptide that allows cannabis-derived drugs to relieve pain without side effects

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New findings help in protecting divertor without degrading core plasma

New findings help in protecting divertor without degrading core plasma
2021-05-20
The high-power and long-pulse operation of tokamak will cause excessive particle flux and heat load on the divertor target plate. The surface of the target plate will be subject to intense sputtering, and the thermal load of the target plate will exceed the material/component limit. The sputtered atoms generated by the damage of the target plate may be transported to the core plasma, degrading the quality of the fusion plasma and increasing the difficulty of plasma stability control. Recently, the EAST group of Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), reported their new findings about the influence of different impurity gases ...

Parrot poachers striking while the market's hot

Parrot poachers striking while the markets hot
2021-05-20
"Pretty" parrots are more likely to be snatched up for Indonesia's illegal wildlife trade, a new study reveals. The findings not only expose the key drivers behind the country's illegal trade in these birds, but offer lessons for the potential emergence and spread of infectious diseases that jump from animals to humans - like COVID-19 and avian flu. The study, involving researchers from The Australian National University (ANU), analysed two decades worth of data on the illegal trade of parrots in Southeast Asia. The researchers found some key reasons parrots ...

E-scooters as a new micro-mobility service

E-scooters as a new micro-mobility service
2021-05-20
E-scooters as a new micro-mobility service: SMART researchers explore the potential of e-scooter sharing as a replacement for short-distance transit in Singapore SMART researchers found that e-scooters are not only a last-mile solution to complement transit services, but also provide a mobility service for short-distance transit trips - Through a stated preference survey and mixed logit models, SMART researchers found that fare, transit transfer, and transit walking distance are significant factors driving the use of e-scooters as an alternative means of transit. The uncertainty is higher in predicting e-scooter usage preferences of male, young and high-income ...

The when and why of foehn warming in northwestern Japan

The when and why of foehn warming in northwestern Japan
2021-05-20
Tsukuba, Japan - Warm, dry wind events blowing down from mountain slopes, called foehns, are a meteorological phenomenon typically associated with the European Alps or the Rocky Mountains of North America. However, in recent decades, foehn winds in Japan have caused record-breaking hazardous warm weather events, bringing renewed interest in the behavior of these winds in this part of the world. In a new study published in the International Journal of Climatology, a research team led by the University of Tsukuba has presented the first comprehensive climatological study of Japan's south foehn, a windstorm that originates from the Backbone Mountain Range and is observed along the coast of the Sea of Japan, including in the Toyama ...

New study presents evaporation-driven transport-control of small molecules along nanoslits

New study presents evaporation-driven transport-control of small molecules along nanoslits
2021-05-20
Microfluidic chips hold great promise for unparalleled applications in pathogen detection and cancer diagnosis. Such devices often require nanoscale thin films for the filtering of liquid samples, as well as power devices or chemical stimulus that control its flow direction. However, many challenges still remain with most precedent mechanisms, including complicated fabrication processes, limitations of materials, and undesired damage on samples. A research team, led by Professor Taesung Kim in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UNIST presented the ...

New NUS technology completes vital class of industrial reactions five times faster

New NUS technology completes vital class of industrial reactions five times faster
2021-05-20
Everything from the production of fertilisers and plastics, to liquid fuels and pharmaceuticals require an important chemical reaction known as hydrogenation. This is a process involving the addition of hydrogen to unsaturated chemical bonds. Enhancing the rate of hydrogenation can lead to higher yields for industries and lower environmental impacts. Now, a team of scientists, led by Associate Professor Yan Ning from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS), has come up with a method to increase the rate of ethylene ...

People with newly diagnosed AD are less likely to have cataract surgery than people without AD

2021-05-20
People with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are less likely to have cataract surgery than people without Alzheime's disease. The procedure rate starts to decrease already one year after the diagnosis, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. The lower likelihood of cataract surgery among people with cognitive disorders has been reported previously. This study is the first to report an association between the AD diagnosis and a lower incidence of cataract surgery, and a decrease in the procedure rate related to the time since the diagnosis. The decrease in the incidence of cataract surgery among people with newly diagnosed AD is concerning because the benefits of this low-risk procedure would probably be similar for people with and without ...

Experimental drug makes radiation therapy more effective, less damaging

Experimental drug makes radiation therapy more effective, less damaging
2021-05-20
DALLAS - May 20, 2021 - An experimental drug that has shown promise in protecting healthy tissue from collateral damage caused by radiation therapy for cancer also appears to enhance radiation's capacity to kill tumors, a new study led by UT Southwestern scientists shows. The findings, published online in Science Translational Medicine, could provide a much-needed boost to the radiation treatments used against a variety of tumor types. The drug, avasopasem manganese (AVA), has already shown promise in clinical trials to prevent a side effect known as acute mucositis. This condition commonly occurs in head and ...

High risk of conflict between humans and elephants and lions

High risk of conflict between humans and elephants and lions
2021-05-20
Elephants and lions are iconic species that help raise substantial funds for conservation. However, they also pose significant threats to people, crops, and livestock, and are themselves threatened with extinction. Areas at severe risk are identified In a new article published in the journal Nature Communications, scientists have identified the areas that are most at risk for conflicts between humans and elephants and lions in Africa. They also estimated the associated return on investment of building and maintaining high-quality fences, which are used to reduce conflict between humans and wildlife. Associate Professor Enrico Di Minin, who is the lead author of this article and leads the Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science ...

A stressful life in the city affects birds' genes

2021-05-20
Great tits living in cities are genetically different from great tits in the countryside. This is what researchers have found in a unique study, where they examined populations of great tits in nine large European cities. The researchers compared the city bird genes with the genes of their relatives in the countryside. It did not matter if the great tits lived in Milan, Malmö or Madrid: in order to handle an environment created by humans, the birds evolved in a similar way. Different gene types linked to important biological functions such as cognition and various behaviours regulated by serotonin, including aggression and circadian rhythms, were found to have been selected and passed on from generation to generation. In rural populations, these behaviours are also ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Impact of synbiotic supplements on the gut microbiome and overall health of penguins

Promising advances in organosilica membranes for separating organic liquid mixtures

Cell phone video technology unveils new method for analyzing walking and gait

Ancient isolation’s impact on modern ecology

Synaptic protein change during development offers clues on evolution and disease

How commercial rooftop solar power could bring affordable clean energy to low-income homes

Taking a closer look at pulmonary fibrosis genetics

Cats with MDR1 mutation at risk of severe reactions to popular medication

IOP Publishing and IPEM mandate reporting of sex and gender in research 

Dogs trained to detect trauma stress by smelling humans’ breath

Electronic device thermal management made simpler and slightly better!

Study: Dangerous surgical site infections can be reduced with simple prevention protocol

Genetic testing of patients with atrial fibrillation can alert clinicians to potential development of life-threatening conditions

Artificial Intelligence tool successfully predicts fatal heart rhythm

What progress has China made in agriculture green development over the past five years?

ALMA finds new molecular signposts in starburst galaxy

Open waste burning linked to air pollution in Northwestern Greenland

Google Street View reveals how built environment correlates with risk of cardiovascular disease

Connecting the dots to shape growth forces

Parental avoidance of toxic exposures could help prevent autism, ADHD in children, new study shows

Trends in the incidence of renal replacement therapy due to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in Japan, 2006–2021

Olympics not likely to swallow up skateboarding’s subversive nature into its corporate spectacle, study says

Looking after the NHS workforce must be a top priority, say experts

Prolonged use of certain hormone drugs linked to increased brain tumor risk

Delirium a ‘strong risk factor’ for dementia among older people

People experiencing homelessness more likely to develop dementia at younger ages, study finds

Can metalens be commercialized at a fraction of the cost?

Reclaim ‘wellness’ from the rich and famous, and restore its political radicalism, new book argues

Curtin research unlocks supernova stardust secrets

New documents reveal patient safety concerns over strike day cover

[Press-News.org] A peptide that allows cannabis-derived drugs to relieve pain without side effects
Scientists from the Proteomics and Protein Chemistry Research Group and the Neuropharmacology-Neurophar Laboratory have developed a peptide which is an ideal candidate for reducing the cognitive side effects of pain treatment with cannabis derivatives.