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veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
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New Antidepressant Drug Increases 'Brain's Own Cannabis'
#5058516 - 12/13/05 04:45 PM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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New Antidepressant Drug Increases 'Brain's Own Cannabis' December 13, 2005 - sciencedaily.com
Researchers have discovered a new drug that raises the level of endocannabinoids -- the 'brain's own cannabis' -- providing anti-depressant effects. The new research published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), suggests the new drug, called URB597, could represent a safer alternative to cannabis for the treatment of pain and depression, and open the door to new and improved treatments for clinical depression--a condition that affects around 20% of Canadians.
In preclinical laboratory tests researchers found that URB597 increased the production of endocannabinoids by blocking their degradation, resulting in measurable antidepressant effects. "This is the first time it has been shown that a drug that increases endocannabinoids in the brain can improve your mood," says the lead investigator Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, an MUHC and Universit? de Montr?al researcher.
Endocannabinoids are chemicals released by the brain under certain conditions, like exercise; they stimulate specific brain receptors that can trigger feelings of well-being. The researchers, which included scientists from the University of California at Irvine, were able to measure serotonin and noradrenaline activity as a result of the increased endocannabinoids, and also conducted standard experiments to gauge the 'mood' of their subjects and confirm their findings.
"The results were similar to the effect we might expect from the use of commonly prescribed antidepressants, which are effective on only around 30% of the population," explains Dr. Gobbi. "Our discovery strengthens the case for URB597 as a safer, non-addictive, non-psychotropic alternative to cannabis for the treatment of pain and depression and provides hope for the development of an alternate line of antidepressants, with a wider range of effectiveness."
Cannabis has been known for its anti-depressant and pain-relief effects for many years, but the addictive nature and general health concerns of cannabis use make this drug far from ideal as a medical treatment. The active ingredient in cannabis--THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)--stimulates cannabinoid receptors.
Funding for this study was provided by the Fonds de la Recherche en Sant? du Qu?bec (FRSQ), the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation (CPRF), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and an MUHC fellowship.
#####About the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)
The MUHC is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University??the Montreal Children's, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge. www.muhc.ca
About the Universit? de Montr?al
Founded in 1878, the Universit? de Montr?al today has 13 faculties and together with its two affiliated schools, HEC Montr?al and ?cole Polytechnique, constitutes the largest centre of higher education and research in Qu?bec, the second largest in Canada, and one of the major centres in North America. It brings together 2,400 professors and researchers, accommodates nearly 55,000 students, offers some 650 programs at all academic levels, and awards about 3,000 masters and doctorate diplomas each year.
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Schwip
Never sleeps.
Registered: 06/27/05
Posts: 3,937
Last seen: 11 years, 4 months
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Re: New Antidepressant Drug Increases 'Brain's Own Cannabis' [Re: veggie]
#5058690 - 12/13/05 05:27 PM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
called URB597
lol
wait,......
Quote:
non-psychotropic alternative to cannabis
how is a strong anti-depressant not psychotropic?????
-------------------- -------------------------------- " If the sky were to suddenly open up there would be no law. There would be no rule. There would only be you and your memories... the choices you've made, and the people you've touched. If this world were to end there would only be you and him and no-one else. " .............. "MAN! You know there aint no such thing as left over crack!"
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kake
The answer to1984 is 1776.
Registered: 05/06/99
Posts: 2,782
Loc: The 66th harmonic
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Re: New Antidepressant Drug Increases 'Brain's Own Cannabis' [Re: Schwip]
#5059031 - 12/13/05 06:33 PM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Already they're trying to find alternatives for cannabis, I say give cannabis a chance!
:sigh:
-------------------- The answer to 1984 is 1776.
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GGreatOne234
Stranger
Registered: 12/23/99
Posts: 8,946
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Re: New Antidepressant Drug Increases 'Brain's Own Cannabis' [Re: kake]
#5060024 - 12/13/05 10:19 PM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
kake said: Already they're trying to find alternatives for cannabis, I say give cannabis a chance!
:sigh:
hahaha, man that's f.cked up theyre making drugs to replace herb when the herb is already here to begin with.
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ThePredator
Your a eunich ifyou don't useunix!
Registered: 08/23/05
Posts: 542
Last seen: 17 years, 9 months
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Re: New Antidepressant Drug Increases 'Brain's Own Cannabis' [Re: GGreatOne234]
#5062775 - 12/14/05 02:21 PM (18 years, 3 months ago) |
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Let me guess, it will end up being a 200$ pill that nobody can afford.
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