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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Tobacco Hornworm as an Insect Model System for Cannabinoid Pre-clinical Studies
Published on: December 29, 2021
[Therapeutic applications and biomedical effects of cannabinoids; pharmacological starting points]
1Rijksuniversiteit, Groningen Institute for Drug Studies (GIDS).
Abstract:
A broad range of therapeutic applications has been suggested for cannabis or its pharmacologically active compound (tetrahydrocannabinol; THC) in many publications. Psychotropic side effects and the anecdotal character of the research have limited the pharmacotherapeutic use of THC until now. Therefore, the Netherlands Health Council recently decided negatively on this matter. Besides several cannabinoid receptor subtypes present in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues endogenous cannabinoids have been detected. These endogenous cannabinoids appear to play an important role in signal transduction, which may be starting points for therapy regarding: cardiovascular diseases, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord disorders. cerebrovascular accident and brain trauma, neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, pain management, glaucoma, oncologic and aids-related disorders such as nausea, vomiting and appetite problems.
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