Cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound, inhibits proliferation and invasion in U87-MG and T98G glioma cells through a multitarget effect

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 21;8(10):e76918. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076918. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

In the present study, we found that CBD inhibited U87-MG and T98G cell proliferation and invasiveness in vitro and caused a decrease in the expression of a set of proteins specifically involved in growth, invasion and angiogenesis. In addition, CBD treatment caused a dose-related down-regulation of ERK and Akt prosurvival signaling pathways in U87-MG and T98G cells and decreased hypoxia inducible factor HIF-1α expression in U87-MG cells. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the antitumor action of CBD, showing that this cannabinoid affects multiple tumoral features and molecular pathways. As CBD is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid that appears to be devoid of side effects, our results support its exploitation as an effective anti-cancer drug in the management of gliomas.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cannabidiol / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism
  • Glioma / drug therapy
  • Glioma / metabolism
  • Glioma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Proteome / metabolism
  • Proteomics / methods
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • HIF1A protein, human
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
  • Proteome
  • Cannabidiol
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a grant from University of Milan-F.I.R.S.T 2008. GW Pharmaceuticals funded part of the research. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.