title: Medical cannabis: Another piece in the mosaic of autoimmunity?
abstract: Legalization of cannabis' medicinal use is rapidly increasing worldwide, raising the need to evaluate medical implications of cannabis. Currently, evidence supports cannabis and its active ingredients as immune-modulating agents, affecting T-cells, B-cells, monocytes, and microglia cells, causing an overall reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines. Due to the supporting evidence of cannabinoids as an immune-modulating agent, research focusing on cannabinoids and autoimmunity has emerged. Several clinical trials in multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and fibromyalgia suggest cannabis' effectiveness as an immune-modulator. However, contradicting results and lack of large-scale clinical trials obscure these results. Although lacking clinical research, in vitro and in vivo experiments in rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes type 1, and systemic sclerosis demonstrate a correlation between disease activity and cannabinoids.
authors.affiliation: The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.|Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.|Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment School of Nutritional Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Porat-Katz
authors.affiliation: The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.|Incumbent of the Laura Schwarz-Kipp Chair for Research of Autoimmune Diseases, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000188:drug therapy; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D064086:Medical Marijuana / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000378:metabolism; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000378:metabolism; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002186:Cannabinoids; D016207:Cytokines; D007473:Ion Channels; D064086:Medical Marijuana; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2