Salk Institute: Active ingredient in cannabis may fight brain aging

Salk researchers found that cannabidiol protects mitochondrial function and prevents cellular oxidative damage

Decades of research into medical marijuana have focused on the compounds THC and CBD in clinical applications

"We found that cannabidiol protects neurons from oxidative stress and cell death, two major causes of Alzheimer's disease," said senior author Pamela, research professor and director of the Salk Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology La Maher said

Derived from the cannabis plant, CBN is molecularly similar to THC but is not psychoactive

Maher's team studied the process of oxidation, also known as ferroptosis, which is thought to occur in the aging brain

They further found that CBN works by protecting mitochondria within neurons, which are the cells' energy source

To confirm the interaction between CBN and mitochondria, the researchers then replicated the experiment in nerve cells with mitochondria removed

"We were able to show directly that the maintenance of mitochondrial function is specifically required for the protective effects of this compound," Maher said.

In another key finding, the researchers showed that CBN did not activate cannabinoid receptors, which are required for cannabinoids to produce psychoactive responses

"CBN is not a controlled substance like THC, the psychoactive drug in marijuana, and evidence shows that CBN is safe in animals and humans," said first author Zhibin Liang, a postdoctoral researcher in Maher's lab

In addition to Alzheimer's, the finding has implications for other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's, which is also associated with glutathione loss

Maher added that the study shows the need for further research on CBN and other less-studied cannabinoids

DOI: 10.