(Press-News.org) Two cannabis-derived compounds have shown remarkable effectiveness against fungal pathogens in laboratory tests, according to new Macquarie University research.
In a study published in The Journal of Neglected Tropical Diseases (PLOS NTDs), researchers discovered that bioactives Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabidivarin (CBDV) killed harmfulCryptococcus neoformans - a WHO-listed priority fungal pathogen. The compounds also killed dermatophytes that cause common skin infections, and much faster than existing treatments.
The findings open a door to possible new treatments for these fungal infections.
Fungal infections affect more than one billion people around the world each year, according to data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Whether it’s athlete’s foot, a yeast infection, or the potentially deadly lung infection pneumocystis pneumonia, fungal pathogens are a serious health threat with relatively few effective treatments.
Macquarie University’s Dr Hue Dinh, a postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Natural Science, and Associate Professor Amy Cain, resolved to tackle the growing threat of fungal infections with help from Professor Mark Connor and Dr Marina Junqueira Santiago from the Macquarie School of Medicine and collaborators at the Universities of Sydney and NSW.
Having worked in the field of antimicrobial resistance, Dr Hue Dinh knew that developing an entirely new drug and getting it to market could take decades. It made more sense to work with pharmacological compounds already approved for use in humans for other conditions, because their safety and mechanism of action are already well known.
Cannabis connection
Dr Dinh says one of the challenges in the research project was deciding which cannabinoids to test, and against what.
“Hundreds of natural compounds can be extracted from the cannabis plant, and we don't know which ones work," says Dr Dinh.
Macquarie Medical School pharmacologist Professor Mark Connor, who has a strong background in researching cannabioids, joined the team in their quest to target the fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, which causes deadly lung or brain infections.
“When Cryptococcus neoformans gets to your central nervous system, it causes life-threatening meningitis. The mortality rate is very high, and it's really hard to treat,” says Dr Dinh.
The researchers found two cannabinoids – cannabidiol and cannabidivarin – that both quickly killed Cryptococcus neoformans in the laboratory, working even faster than current antifungal therapy.
They tested the compounds against 33 other fungal pathogens from clinical, veterinary and environmental settings. This revealed the cannabinoids were effective in killing a range of Cryptococcus species as well as the fungal skin pathogens that cause athlete’s foot.
Future applications
The final part of the study confirmed the cannabinoids could treat a fungal infection in a living organism – the Galleria mellonella (wax moth) larvae, via the Macquarie Galleria Research Facility – bringing this treatment a step closer to patients.
The pilot study is an exciting advancement in the search for effective topical treatments because research shows pathogens are less likely to develop resistance to cannabinoids compared to other antimicrobials, Dr Dinh says.
Intravenous administration of cannabinoids to treat systemic infections like lung or brain fungal infections will be more challenging, according to Dr Dinh, as cannabinoids aren’t easily dissolved into injectable formulations.
But she has high hopes for topical treatments for common skin infections.
“If we can demonstrate that these ones work well for common infections, you could actually just get some CBD oil and then rub it on your skin to treat it."
Dr Dinh and Associate Professor Cain are currently working with commercial partners to develop this product for over-the-counter use.
Dr Hue Dinh is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University.
Associate Professor Amy Cain is a biologist in the School of Natural Sciences and ARC Future Fellow.
Writer: Bianca Nogrady
END
Cannabis extract could treat fungal diseases
Could simply rubbing a bit of marijuana juice on your foot kill tinea?
2025-06-03
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Pancreatic cancer spreads to liver or lung thanks to this protein
2025-06-03
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Levi.Gadye@ucsf.edu, (415) 502-6397
Subscribe to UCSF News
A protein called PCSK9 determines how pancreatic cancer cells metastasize to different parts of the body.
Scientists at UC San Francisco have discovered how pancreatic cancer cells thrive in the lungs or liver, environments that are as distinct to cells as the ocean and desert are to animals. The spread of cancer cells to organs like these often produces the very first symptoms of pancreatic ...
Eating an array of smaller fish could be nutrient-dense solution to overfishing
2025-06-03
ITHACA, N.Y. - To satisfy the seafood needs of billions of people, offering them access to a more biodiverse array of fish creates opportunities to mix-and-match species to obtain better nutrition from smaller portions of fish.
The right combination of certain species can provide up to 60% more nutrients than if someone ate the same quantity of even a highly nutritious species, according to an analysis by Cornell University researchers.
“This research hopefully highlights the importance of biodiversity, not just because of a moral quandary that we’re causing a mass extinction on Earth, but also because biodiversity can lead to better outcomes ...
Han studying potential of next generation telepresence
2025-06-03
Bo Han, Associate Professor, Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), received funding for: “I-Corps: Translation Potential of Next Generation Telepresence Enriched by Immersive Technologies.”
Han aims to conduct extensive customer discovery and assess the value and potential of next-generation telepresence enriched by immersive technologies.
He will conduct interviews focused on three main customer segments: (1) education and training, (2) healthcare, and (3) fashion design. ...
Emory study finds molecular link between air pollution and pregnancy risks
2025-06-03
A new study by Emory University researchers, published Thursday in Environmental Science & Technology, found that exposure to the tiny particles in air pollution during pregnancy can disrupt maternal metabolisms, altering key biological pathways. These changes were associated with increased risk of various negative birth outcomes, including premature birth.
The study, which analyzed blood samples provided by 330 pregnant women from the Atlanta metropolitan area, is believed to be the first to investigate how exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) commonly found in air pollution ...
Controlling bacteria with light: from tackling antibiotic resistance to “bacterial robots”
2025-06-03
A groundbreaking technique developed by Politecnico di Milano researchers is enabling scientists to control specific bacterial functions using light-sensitive materials. The Engineering Of bacteria to See light (EOS) project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC), has pioneered a system that allows bacteria to sense light and convert light energy into electrical signals across their membranes without the need for any genetic modification. This method is being explored as a promising solution to the growing global challenge of antibiotic resistance.
Its potential applications include ...
Johns Hopkins study shows how scientists can use black holes as supercolliders
2025-06-03
As federal funding cuts impact decades of research, scientists could turn to black holes for cheaper, natural alternatives to expensive facilities searching for dark matter and similarly elusive particles that hold clues to the universe’s deepest secrets, a new Johns Hopkins study of supermassive black holes suggests.
The findings could help complement multi-billion-dollar expenses and decades of construction needed for research complexes like Europe’s Large Hadron Collider, the largest and highest-energy particle accelerator in the world.
“One of the great hopes for particle colliders like the Large Hadron Collider is that ...
Being incarcerated and living in areas where more have gone to jail is associated with higher death rates
2025-06-03
Journal: JAMA Network Open
Title: Elevated death rates associated with incarceration emphasize the need for health care interventions both during and after incarceration
Author: Utsha Khatri, MD, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Population Health Science and Policy, and Global Health and Health System Design, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Bottom line: This study shows individual incarceration rates and rates at the county level (the number of incarcerated individuals per 100,000 residents) are strongly associated with ...
New insights into long-term dysfunction of edited blood stem cells and how to overcome it
2025-06-03
Scientists at the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), Milan, have found that gene editing using CRISPR-Cas9 in combination with AAV6 vectors can trigger inflammatory and senescence-like responses in blood stem cells, compromising their long-term ability to regenerate the blood system. The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, outlines new strategies to overcome this hurdle, improving both the safety and efficacy of gene-editing-based therapies for inherited blood disorders.
The research was led by Dr. Raffaella Di Micco, group leader at SR-Tiget, New York Stem Cell Foundation Robertson Investigator and Associate Professor at the School ...
Severe maternal morbidity by race and ethnicity and birth mode
2025-06-03
About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of births among individuals with a prior cesarean birth, patterns of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) by birth mode varied by race and ethnicity, with elevated rates of SMM among those from marginalized racial and ethnic groups with planned cesarean births. Future work should identify interventions to improve quality of care and promote equity for this population.
Corresponding author: To contact the corresponding author, Laura B. Attanasio, Ph.D., email lattanasio@umass.edu.
To access ...
Individual- and area-level incarceration and mortality
2025-06-03
About The Study: In this cohort study of 3.26 million individuals in the U.S., results highlighted the dual burden of incarceration on health outcomes. Individuals who were incarcerated faced significantly higher risks of death, particularly from overdoses, and elevated county incarceration rates exacerbated individual-level mortality risks. These findings suggest the need for reforms in criminal justice and public health policies to address these elevated risks and their widespread implications.
Corresponding author: To contact the corresponding author, Utsha G. Khatri, M.D., M.S., email utsha.khatri@mountsinai.org.
To access the embargoed study: ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Inflammatory cells remain in the blood after treatment of severe asthma
New insights into seasonal shifts in sleep
Estimating microbial biomass from air-dried soils: A safer, scalable approach
AI in healthcare needs patient-centred regulation to avoid discrimination – new commentary
A good soak in a hot tub might beat a sauna for health benefits
Surgery plus speech therapy linked to improved language after stroke
GP performance pay fails to drive lasting changes in quality of care
Focusing on weight loss alone for obesity may do more harm than good
In sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 6 cancer medications found to be defective
Newborns require better care to improve survival and long-term health
EMBARGOED: New study shows almost half of hospital patients in Malawi and Tanzania have multiple health conditions
People with symptoms of chronic lung disease in Kenya face ‘catastrophic’ health costs
Sylvester Cancer Tip Sheet - June 2025
UC Davis and Proteus Space to launch first-ever dynamic digital twin into space
Olympians' hearts in focus: groundbreaking study reveals elite rowers' surprising AFib risk
Common medicine for autoimmune diseases works on giant cell arteritis
Your neighborhood may be tied to risk of inflammation, dementia biomarkers
AAN issues position statement on possible therapies for neurological conditions
Liver organoid breakthrough: Generating organ-specific blood vessels
LRA awards 2025 Lupus Insight Prize to Dr. Deepak Rao for uncovering key drivers of immune imbalance in lupus
Terasaki Institute’s Dr. Yangzhi Zhu recognized as 2024 Biosensors Young Investigator Award Recipient
NAU researchers launch open-source robotic exoskeleton to help people walk
Early farmers in the Andes were doing just fine, challenging popular theory
Seeing men as the “default” may be tied to attitudes to politicians, Black people
Risk of crime rises when darkness falls
Data from Poland, Indonesia and Nepal indicate that affectionate behavior is associated with higher relationship satisfaction - though cultural differences impact how affection is displayed and percei
"Boomerang" made from mammoth tusk is likely one of the oldest known in Europe at around 40,000 years old, per analysis of this artifact from a Polish Upper Paleolithic cave
"Shrinking" cod: how humans have altered the genetic make-up of fish
Nitrate in drinking water linked to preterm birth rates
Ancient canoe replica tests Paleolithic migration theory
[Press-News.org] Cannabis extract could treat fungal diseasesCould simply rubbing a bit of marijuana juice on your foot kill tinea?