Thread by @davidasinclair

Cannabidiol (CBD) does amazing things. According to a new study it:

* Increases SIRT1 & autophagy ✅
* Decreases mTOR ✅
* Upregulates SOX2 & OCT4 ✅
* Preserves telomeres ✅
* Reduces inflammatory NF-kB ✅
* Slows stem cell aging ✅

🧵

CBD, or cannabidiol, is the second most prevalent active ingredient in marijuana, with no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used to treat various degenerative diseases. Their therapeutic potential is limited by their aging in the dish as they are expanded in number. The researchers tested if CBD could help

Earliest records of cannabis use appear in Egyptian medical papyri (~1550 BCE), with even earlier Chinese texts (~2700 BCE) describing its hallucinogenic effects and its use for pain relief (including gout) and appetite stimulation

In 2018, the Farm Bill made hemp legal in the United States, making it virtually impossible for CBD to remain illegal in any state

A rodent study in the European Journal of Pain suggested CBD could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis when applied to skin. Other research identifies how CBD may inhibit inflammatory & neuropathic pain

This was only a cell culture study (no animals or people) but according to authors: "CBD increases SIRT1 and autophagy-related markers in MSCs, preserves MSC stemness by promoting the deacetylation of SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2) through SIRT1...

...delays cellular senescence by enhancing autophagy, reducing SA-β-gal activity, maintaining proliferation capacity, and supporting telomere function."

While mRNA analyses do not actually represent protein expression, the study would be interesting if it turns out to be true with more thorough analsyses and it is found to repeat in animals and in people

Here's the paper: iv.iiarjournals.org/content/40/1/2…