Session 2A: Lectures by Fellows/Associates

Chairperson: Vinod K Gaur, Bengaluru

Cannabis Therapeutic Potential in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Common neurogenerative diseases include Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which have a significant impact on health globally. These diseases are primarily characterized by deterioration of neurons and a decline in cognitive and motor functions. The major identified mechanisms include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, neuroinflammation, dysregulation of protein degradation through autophagy, and gut dysbiosis. These complications in pathogenesis impose great challenges in targeted drug discovery. The phytochemicals isolated from Cannabis sativa have received attention as potential therapeutic molecules for neurological disorders. Although around 125 cannabinoids have been identified and studied for their biological activities, the pharmacological investigation of other molecules has not been studied, and their therapeutic potential is still unknown. In our recent research, we investigated the neuroprotective activities of non-cannabinoid molecules, spiroindanes, in neuronal cell lines. Some spiroindane molecules showed a potential neuroprotective effect via alleviation of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction, and further mechanistic studies were explored in suitable in vivo models for their therapeutic activities. The phytoconstituents of cannabis can be explored for their neuroinflammation and neuroprotective properties to identify potent therapeutic molecules for neurodegenerative disease.