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New study reveals how marijuana suppresses immune functions

Analog

Analog

Lifer
An international team of immunologists studying the effects of cannabis have discovered how smoking marijuana can trigger a suppression of the body's immune functions. The research, published in the European Journal of Immunology, reveals why cannabis users are more susceptible to certain types of cancers and infections.

The team, led by Dr Prakash Nagarkatti from the University of South Carolina, focused their research on cannabinoids, a group of compounds found inside the cannabis plant, including THC (delta-9 tetahydrocannabinol) which is already used for medical purposes such as pain relief.
"Cannabis is one of the most widely used drugs of abuse worldwide and it is already believed to suppress immune functions making the user more susceptible to infections and some types of cancer," said Dr Nagarkatti. "We believe the key to this suppression is a unique type of immune cell, which has only recently been identified by immunologists, called myeloid-derived suppressor cells, MDSCs."
While most immune cells fight against infections and cancers to protect the host, MDSCs actively suppress the immune system. The presence of these cells is known to increase in cancer patients and it is believed that MDSCs may suppress the immune system against cancer therapy, actually promoting cancer growth.
Dr Nagarkatti's team demonstrated that cannabinoids can trigger a massive number of MDSCs through activation of cannabinoid receptors. This research reveals, for the first time, that marijuana cannabinoids may suppress the immune system by activating these unique cells.


http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-11-reveals-cannabis-suppresses-immune-functions.html
 
/medical marijuana user (scammer)

But it cures my migraines....

/medical marijuana user (scammer)
 
Yeah, it's as bad for you as cigarettes. Everyone with half a brain knows that. Unfortunately, those people seem to be in the minority these days.
 
dopers have a "doper" personality that requires them to play yoyo with their brain chemistry to achieve "recreation". They are the epitome of denial in motion.
 
IGBT said:
dopers have a "doper" personality that requires them to play yoyo with their brain chemistry to achieve "recreation". They are the epitome of denial in motion.
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tell that to the russians who drink an average of 18 liters of pure alcohol a year.

the ironing of their views on marijuana is amazing.
 
Ns1 said:
tell that to the russians who drink an average of 18 liters of pure alcohol a year.

the ironing of their views on marijuana is amazing.
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you miss the point. dope is dope be it smoking dope or drinking dope. I'll bet your a doper of some sort.
 
If I have terminal cancer I'm still getting high every day. None of you work in the medical marijuana industry so you have nooooo idea what a lot of the people that need thc lives are like without it. So many idiotic naysayers with no clue of the reality of torture that some people have live with in their daily lives. I'm not saying pot is a miracle cure, nothing is. But those of you saying medical marijuana is a joke need to stfu up.
 
So they are saying that smoking something may make it easier for you to get sick and may make it easier to get cancer... shocking discovery...
 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226004546.htm
Cannabinoids did suppress tumor cell invasion and stimulated the expression of TIMP-1, an inhibitor of a group of enzymes that are involved in tumor cell invasion.
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Marijuana advocates will take the studies that confirm their already held beliefs and anti-marijuana people will do the same, and never the twain shall meet. But here's a thought: science which doesn't support your agenda can still be correct.
 
DangerAardvark said:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226004546.htm


Marijuana advocates will take the studies that confirm their already held beliefs and anti-marijuana people will do the same, and never the twain shall meet. But here's a thought: science which doesn't support your agenda can still be correct.
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And that study there is nothing new; as it appears they wanted to follow up on previous research, I wonder if they were perhaps following up on a study I had read a long time ago.

Ah, yes... I still have the images up on photobucket.
This article is from the year 2000. Anti-tumor properties of THC is something that has been well studied.

So, perhaps marijuana can cause an increase in immune-suppressing bastard cells (which on it's own is actually probably responsible for decreases in pain, nausea, and other issues for people with certain types of illnesses), and at the same time, it can also provide a helping hand to the cancer-fighting part of our immune system. Even things out, maybe? 😀

Marijuana has a ton of various cannabinoids, and all of them activate receptors. Each cannabinoid has a specific affinity for either the CB1 receptors or CB2 receptors... say, one cannabinoid might activate 4 CB1 receptors for every CB2 receptor. That's why all those cannabinoids combined can create a high that is specific to each strain, since each strain has a different ratio of the various cannabinoids.

However, I wonder if different cannabinoids (of which THC is simply the most famous, and most sought-after) have different impacts on our general physiology. Is there a specific cannabinoid that acts as an immune suppressor, and can we then breed that one out... and then leave it in a few strains marketed only to people who have autoimmune disorders, perhaps?

Anyhow, here's that article:

Page 1
Page 2

[Environmental Health Perspectives, Volume 108, Number 10, October 2000; pgs A 442 - A 443]
 
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