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Potential of Cannabidiol for the Treatment of Viral Hepatitis
Henry I C Lowe1, Ngeh J Toyang2, Wayne McLaughlin3
1Flavocure Biotech LLC, Columbia; Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Medicanja Jamaica LTD, Kingston, Jamaica; Bio-Tech R and D, LTD, Mona, Jamaica.
Insights
Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound from medical cannabis, shows promising in vitro activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) by inhibiting viral replication. Further development could lead to new HCV therapies.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pharmacology
- Hepatology
Background:
- Viral hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) are global health issues causing severe liver damage, cirrhosis, and cancer.
- HCV lacks a vaccine, and current treatments face challenges with drug resistance and high costs, necessitating new therapeutic strategies.
- Medical cannabis and its compounds are being investigated for therapeutic potential against various diseases, including viral infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro antiviral activity of cannabidiol (CBD) against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Main Methods:
- Preliminary in vitro screening of CBD against HCV and HBV.
- Dose-response assay to determine the efficacy of CBD against HCV replication.
Main Results:
- Cannabidiol (CBD) demonstrated significant in vitro activity against HCV, inhibiting replication by 86.4% at 10 μM.
- The EC50 of CBD against HCV was determined to be 3.163 μM.
- CBD showed no significant activity against HBV in vitro.
Conclusions:
- Cannabidiol exhibits in vitro antiviral activity against the hepatitis C virus.
- CBD warrants further investigation as a potential therapeutic agent for HCV infection.
Abstract:
Viral hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) pose a major health problem globally and if untreated, both viruses lead to severe liver damage resulting in liver cirrhosis and cancer. While HBV has a vaccine, HCV has none at the moment. The risk of drug resistance, combined with the high cost of current therapies, makes it a necessity for cost-effective therapeutics to be discovered and developed. The recent surge in interest in Medical Cannabis has led to interest in evaluating and validating the therapeutic potentials of Cannabis and its metabolites against various diseases including viruses. Preliminary screening of cannabidiol (CBD) revealed that CBD is active against HCV but not against HBV in vitro. CBD inhibited HCV replication by 86.4% at a single concentration of 10 μM with EC50 of 3.163 μM in a dose-response assay. These findings suggest that CBD could be further developed and used therapeutically against HCV.
Summary:
Cannabidiol exhibited in vitro activity against viral hepatitis C. Abbreviations Used: CB2: Cannabis receptor 2, CBD: Cannabidiol, DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, HBV: Hepatitis B virus, HCV: Hepatitis C virus, HIV/AIDS: Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, HSC: Hepatic stellate cells, MTS: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2Htetrazolium, PCR: Polymerase chain reaction.
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