At thepineapple.com we like to highlight great research and cannabis science is already on a great trajectory this year. An exciting new paper was just published that provides fresh insights into the synaptic mechanisms underlying the anti-seizure effects of CBD.
The research, conducted by the team at NYU Grossman School of Medicine under the guidance of Prof. Richard Tsien, Ph.D., Director of the Neuroscience Institute, has identified the underlying mechanisms by which cannabidiol might rescue and reestablish the efficacy of benzodiazepines in treatment-resistant epilepsy.
In essence, CBD appears to block disruptions of the excitatory-to-inhibitory (E:I) ratio that contribute to the pathogenesis of epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. The researchers first identified a signaling pathway (LPI-GPR55) as the potential modulator of this E:I ratio and then showed that its effects can be blocked by either deletion of GPR55 or pre-treatment of cannabidiol.
This work has been published in the high-impact journal Neuron (CELLpress) under the title,
Cannabidiol modulates excitatory-inhibitory ratio to counter hippocampal hyperactivity
Rosenberg EC, Chamberland S, Bazelot M, et al. [published online ahead of print, 2023 Feb 10]. Neuron. 2023; S0896-6273(23)00066-1.
The original paper is available online in open access via this link, or you can download the PDF directly.
This research is a promising step forward in understanding the anti-seizure effects of CBD and may have implications for the treatment of epilepsy and other conditions.
We have reached out to the researchers to discuss this work in greater detail, as we did with the recent interview of Prof. Joseph Wu, Director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, where we also included questions from the larger online scientific community such as /r/science. So stay tuned!