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90sBeachUFO
Spooky Lad



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'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study 1
#23754414 - 10/20/16 10:12 AM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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-------------------- I don't know much of anything and fear there is not much more to learn.
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404
error


Registered: 08/20/10
Posts: 14,539
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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: 90sBeachUFO]
#23754580 - 10/20/16 11:35 AM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study Written by Honor Whiteman Published: 1 hour ago email THC is the main psychoactive component of marijuana that is responsible for the mind-altering effects of the drug, but the exact mechanisms by which it produces such effects have been unclear. Now, researchers have pieced together the clearest picture to date of how THC binds to a specific cannabinoid receptor in the brain to produce the "high" associated with marijuana use. [CB1 receptor] The model of the CB1 receptor demonstrates how molecules such as THC bind to and activate it. Image credit: Yekaterina Kadyshevskaya, Stevens Laboratory, USC
In a study published in the journal Cell, researchers reveal how they have uncovered the structure of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) - a receptor that is present on the surface of many nerve cells in the brain.
Using the information to create a 3-D model of the receptor, study co-author Raymond Stevens - a professor of Biological Science and Chemistry at the University of Southern California - and team have shed light on how THC and synthetic cannabinoids bind to the receptor.
Stevens and colleagues say their discovery could enhance the development of new marijuana-derived medications, as well as help to better understand the risks of marijuana use.
While marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, its legalization for both medicinal and recreational purposes is widening.
With use of the drug projected to increase as a result, researchers believe it is more important than ever to fully understand how the active components of marijuana work in the body. Unraveling the CB1 receptor
The CB1 receptor is the main target of THC and synthetic cannabinoids - man-made substances that mimic the effects of THC - so the research team focused on finding out more about the structure of this receptor and how it works with specific molecules.
"[...] we need to understand how molecules like THC and the synthetic cannabinoids interact with the receptor, especially since we're starting to see people show up in emergency rooms when they use synthetic cannabinoids," notes Stevens.
The researchers synthesized AM6538 - a molecule known to tightly bind to and stabilize CB1 - and applied it to the CB1 receptor, which enabled them to determine the receptor's structure.
By creating a 3-D model of CB1, the team was able to get a more detailed understanding of how THC and synthetic cannabinoids work with the receptor to produce their mind-altering effects.
The researchers say their discovery could aid marijuana-derived drug development, and perhaps solve some of the problems that have already arisen with such medications.
As an example, the team points to a marijuana-based medication that was previously developed for the treatment of obesity; while it was effective against weight gain, the molecules in the drugs were found to trigger depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
"Researchers are fascinated by how you can make changes in THC or synthetic cannabinoids and have such different effects. Now that we finally have the structure of CB1, we can start to understand how these changes to the drug structure can affect the receptor."
Additionally, the researchers say their model of CB1 could help researchers gain a better understanding of the side effects associated with synthetic cannabinoids, such as "spice" or "K2," which were responsible for almost 8,000 calls to U.S. poison centers last year.
"We need to understand how marijuana works in our bodies; it can have both therapeutic potential and recreational use, but cannabinoids can also be very dangerous," notes co-lead author Prof. Zhi-jie Liu, of the iHuman Institute at ShanghaiTech University in China.
"By doing both the basic science and understanding how this receptor works, we can then use it to help people in the future."
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Konyap

Registered: 06/30/07
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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: 404]
#23754868 - 10/20/16 01:22 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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god just let the people be overweight they usually end up killing them with all their fat people drugs
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morrowasted
Worldwide Stepper



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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: 404]
#23754920 - 10/20/16 01:39 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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This part of the study scares me...
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:Understanding the nuances of CB1 binding and activation is important, as human use has noted differences between the phytocannabinoid agonist THC and the synthetic cannabinoid constituents of “Spice” or “K-2” such as JWH-018. In general, cannabinoid agonists are routinely abused substances; yet, while overdose of THC/marijuana has not been documented, there have been cases of severe and even deadly responses to the ingestion of such synthetic mixtures resulting in federal restrictions by many countries, including the US. It remains unclear as to why THC can have such a high safety margin, while the synthetic cannabinoid constituents can prove toxic with varying severities of serious side effects (Hermanns-Clausen et al., 2013). Going forward, the study of cannabinoids present in Cannabis sativa will provide clues to its high efficacy and safety margins and may continue to inspire a rich source of pharmacologically refined compounds and novel therapeutics; the utility of the crystal structure may provide inspiration for drug design toward refining efficacy and avoiding adverse events.
There is no need to develop "pharmacologically refined compounds and novel therapeutics". As soon as they get developed, it will just create a whole new generation of spice. That's what happened the first time. Quit giving the Chinese chemists ideas. Just study the compounds on marijuana and figure out how which ones are responsible for which medical benefits and which ones are responsible for the feeling of intoxication. We pretty much already have a clear idea of the relationship between CBD and THC in that regard but there are many other compounds that can be studied. Figure out the best possible ratios between them to produce various medical benefits and figure out the best possible way of consuming those compounds as sourced from marijuana. Marijuana already has thousands of years of marketplace testing showing it is relative harmless. The only motivation for developing "novel compounds" is $$$
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morrowasted
Worldwide Stepper



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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: morrowasted]
#23754925 - 10/20/16 01:41 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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although if they are trying to antagonize the receptor to reduce appetite that is completely different and understandable but how did they not anticipate that a CB antagonist would cause depression and suicidal ideation...? dumb. $$$
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Morel Guy
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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: morrowasted]
#23755711 - 10/20/16 06:30 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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5Ht2c agonist do a better job at curbing appetite. If I can gain and lose almost 90 pounds on a 5Ht2c antagonist any heavy person can. Takes discipline and work.
This article is fairly dumb. They reveal none of the results and claim cannabis is dangerous.
-------------------- "in sterquiliniis invenitur in stercore invenitur" In filth it will be found in dung it will be found
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nice1returns
I am the Holy Shit



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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: morrowasted]
#23756608 - 10/21/16 12:10 AM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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The funny thing is the feeling of intoxication is part of the medical benefit.
Cannabis, the plants, they have a message for us but we don't all seem to be getting it.
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CLIT
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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: 90sBeachUFO]
#23756740 - 10/21/16 01:35 AM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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isn't the CBD receptor already known? I wonder if CBD oils does something noticeable when one swallows a drop? I would assume either CBD oil from marijuana or hemp would affect the CBD receptor or are there differences between the two "derivatives"?
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Konyap

Registered: 06/30/07
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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: CLIT]
#23757249 - 10/21/16 08:01 AM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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there's more cbd in hemp miraculously
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badchad
Mad Scientist

Registered: 03/02/05
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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: CLIT] 1
#23758231 - 10/21/16 02:37 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
CLIT said: isn't the CBD receptor already known? I wonder if CBD oils does something noticeable when one swallows a drop? I would assume either CBD oil from marijuana or hemp would affect the CBD receptor or are there differences between the two "derivatives"?
It is, but these researchers discovered the crystal structure of the receptor.
I'm not a structural biologist, but I believe this means they know the exact location of all the amino acids making up the receptor, offering substantial insight into it's function. Regardless, it'll allow them to model and know a lot more about how it works.
-------------------- ...the whole experience is (and is as) a profound piece of knowledge. It is an indellible experience; it is forever known. I have known myself in a way I doubt I would have ever occurred except as it did. Smith, P. Bull. Menninger Clinic (1959) 23:20-27; p. 27. ...most subjects find the experience valuable, some find it frightening, and many say that is it uniquely lovely. Osmond, H. Annals, NY Acad Science (1957) 66:418-434; p.436
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durian_2008
Cornucopian Eating an Elephant



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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: badchad]
#23758267 - 10/21/16 02:53 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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Now, on to a better version of k2?
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fapjack
Title



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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: badchad]
#23758875 - 10/21/16 06:57 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
badchad said:
Quote:
CLIT said: isn't the CBD receptor already known? I wonder if CBD oils does something noticeable when one swallows a drop? I would assume either CBD oil from marijuana or hemp would affect the CBD receptor or are there differences between the two "derivatives"?
It is, but these researchers discovered the crystal structure of the receptor.
I'm not a structural biologist, but I believe this means they know the exact location of all the amino acids making up the receptor, offering substantial insight into it's function. Regardless, it'll allow them to model and know a lot more about how it works.
X-ray crystallography gives them the the protein structure which is the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure if there is one. It's as you said the location of each amino acid residue, a 3d map of the protein . This is actually a big deal because it's really hard to perform successive X-ray crystallography on membrane proteins, especially G protein–coupled receptors. There are like only 350 surface membrane proteins that have had their structure determined.
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olson
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Re: 'Marijuana receptor' uncovered in new study [Re: fapjack]
#23764838 - 10/23/16 05:29 PM (7 years, 3 months ago) |
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The title is a bit sensationalist. It implies that there are receptors that respond only to marijuana as opposed to the cannabinoid receptors that we've known about for a while now. Still, it's important very useful to know the structure of any receptor.
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Kinesin, a motor protein, shuttling a vesicle full of cargo such as glucose or even neurotransmitters across a cell. This little guy struts along the microtubule using ATP as fuel.
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