A researcher at Oregon State University who discovered that certain compounds in cannabis are able to block the virus responsible for COVID-19 from penetrating human cells said preclinical trials could take place within months.
Richard van Breemen, a researcher at Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center, College of Pharmacy, and Linus Pauling Institute, said preclinical trials consist of using animal models and cell cultures to determine the safety and effectiveness of promising drug candidates.
Such trials are mandated by the Food and Drug Administration before any testing on humans can commence, according to a report.
CANNABIS COMPOUNDS BLOCK THE VIRUS RESPONSIBLE FOR COVID-19: STUDY
“We need preclinical trials to prove the efficacy of what we discovered, and I think that will happen very soon, in the next few months,” van Breemen said.
On Jan. 10, van Breemen and his team published a study stating that cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid, compounds within hemp, bond with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and block a critical part of the process that allows the coronavirus to infect individuals.
“These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts,” van Breemen said.
“They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans. And our research showed the hemp compounds were equally effective against variants of SARS-CoV-2, including variant B.1.1.7, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, and variant B.1.351, first detected in South Africa.”
Natural products like cannabis are a common source for prescription medicines, van Breemen said.
“We’ve been interested in natural products and sources of new therapeutic agents for a very long time,” he said.
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“Hemp is particularly interesting because it is a rich source of unique natural products. We’ve probably only investigated 10% of the natural products that nature provides to us, so there are many more molecules to be discovered and many more investigations to be carried out, to find out which diseases or types of infections these molecules might be helpful in preventing or treating.”
