title: Cannabinoids to treat spinal cord injury.
abstract: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition for which there is no standard treatment beyond rehabilitation strategies. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on the use of cannabinoids to treat this condition. The endocannabinoid system is expressed in the intact spinal cord, and it is dramatically upregulated after lesion. Endogenous activation of this system counteracts secondary damage following SCI, and treatments with endocannabinoids or synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists promote a better functional outcome in experimental models. The use of cannabinoids in SCI is a new research field and many questions remain open. Here, we discuss caveats and suggest some future directions that may help to understand the role of cannabinoids in SCI and how to take advantage of this system to regain functions after spinal cord damage.
authors: Laboratory of Neuroinflammation, Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos (SESCAM), Toledo, Spain. Electronic address: aarevalom@sescam.jccm.es.
authors: Angel
authors: A
authors: Arevalo-Martin
authors: Laboratory of Neuroinflammation, Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos (SESCAM), Toledo, Spain. Electronic address: eduardom@sescam.jccm.es.
authors: Eduardo
authors: E
authors: Molina-Holgado
authors: Laboratory of Neuroinflammation, Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos (SESCAM), Toledo, Spain. Electronic address: dgarciao@sescam.jccm.es.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Garcia-Ovejero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002186:Cannabinoids; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents
keywords: 2-Arachidonoylglycerol; CB1; CB2; Diacylglycerol lipase; Endocannabinoid; Secondary damage