title: The use of cannabinoids as anticancer agents.
abstract: It is well-established that cannabinoids exert palliative effects on some cancer-associated symptoms. In addition evidences obtained during the last fifteen years support that these compounds can reduce tumor growth in animal models of cancer. Cannabinoids have been shown to activate an ER-stress related pathway that leads to the stimulation of autophagy-mediated cancer cell death. In addition, cannabinoids inhibit tumor angiogenesis and decrease cancer cell migration. The mechanisms of resistance to cannabinoid anticancer action as well as the possible strategies to develop cannabinoid-based combinational therapies to fight cancer have also started to be explored. In this review we will summarize these observations (that have already helped to set the bases for the development of the first clinical studies to investigate the potential clinical benefit of using cannabinoids in anticancer therapies) and will discuss the possible future avenues of research in this area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Spain. Electronic address: gvelasco@quim.ucm.es.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Spain.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hernández-Tiedra
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dávila
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Spain.
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorente
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002186:Cannabinoids; D063388:Endocannabinoids
keywords: Apoptosis; Autophagy; Cancer; Cannabinoid; Cell signaling; Combinational therapy