Associate Professor Iva Ugrinova, Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), announced that in vitro experiments conducted at the institute have demonstrated pronounced antitumor activity of cannabidiol - a substance extracted from cannabis.
Her team has begun work on the national scientific program "Innovative Low-Toxic and Biologically Active Agents for Precision Medicine" – BioActiveMed, and these are the first results – only 3 months after the start of the program. The results are truly impressive, and the team is inspired, commented Associate Professor Ugrinova. The scientists used cannabidiol to treat a panel of human tumor cells.
The natural substance shows a clear toxic effect on the cells, comparable to and even better than that of synthetic cytostatics. The next steps the team of molecular biologists will take are related to experiments to establish the molecular mechanisms by which cannabidiol kills cancer cells.
The scientists explicitly specify that the cannabidiol was purchased from a foreign pharmaceutical company since there is a strict restrictive regime in Bulgaria for extracting substances from cannabis. They believe that this restriction should be reconsidered when it comes to scientific research.
According to Associate Professor Ugrinova, the project's duration and financial framework would allow the development of suitable dietary supplements to enhance the effect of conventional treatment. She did not hide her hope that one day this could lead to clinical trials and an actual medicinal product.
However, the presented results are only the beginning of extensive future research. Work is expected to begin with extracts from ginkgo biloba, thyme, gentian, catnip, salvia, the Bulgarian endemic Betonica bulgarica, as well as hemocyanins extracted from rapana and helix snails. For all of them, in addition to the antitumor effect, their impact on infectious and neurodegenerative diseases will also be sought.
Scientists from 9 institutes of BAS and 5 universities are working on the BioActiveMed program.