Chapter 1: Quest for Magic Bullets to Solve the Endocannabinoid Puzzle

Mauro Maccarrone

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica) is one of the oldest cultivated plant. Its extracts contain >110 (phyto)cannabinoids (pCBs), some of which appear of clear therapeutic interest. Among them, ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) hold promise to treat several human diseases, both within the central nervous system and at the periphery. Yet, the complexity of cannabis makes it challenging to really exploit a specific active ingredient for a specific therapeutic purpose. This complexity of the plant extracts is mirrored, or even exceeded, by the complexity of the molecular targets that pCBs can find in our body, most of which belong to the so-called "endocannabinoid (eCB) system". Here, I describe the main components of this signalling system, in order to appreciate how challenging it is to develop drugs that can hit specifically each of them, with a benefit for human health.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProtein Degradation with New Chemical Modalities
Subtitle of host publicationSuccessful Strategies in Drug Discovery and Chemical Biology
EditorsMauro Maccarrone
PublisherRoyal Society of Chemistry
Pages1-9
Number of pages9
Edition76
ISBN (Electronic)9781788015479, 9781788016865, 9781788018012
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Publication series

NameRSC Drug Discovery Series
Number76
Volume2021-January
ISSN (Print)2041-3203
ISSN (Electronic)2041-3211

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Drug Discovery

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