the science
us government patent 6,630,507
cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants
How does US Government Patent 6,630,507 relate to autism treatment with cannabis?
US Government Patent 6,630,507 states that cannabinoids are useful in the treatment of several conditions that we know to be underlying issues in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The title of the patent immediately points to two such treatments: cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants. The abstract goes on to list autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as potential targets for cannabinoid therapy. It mentions Alzheimers by name - which is significant because not only are certain Alzheimer drugs are recommended for the treatment of core autism symptoms, in 2015, Delaware successfully added severe autism to it's list of qualifying conditions by arguing that Alzheimer treatment was an existing qualifying condition and pointing out the similarities between the two conditions. (1)
Further into the patent, it is stated that "if glutamate toxicity can be alleviated, neurological damage could also be lessened". Cannabis is an NMDA antagonist. What this means is that it shuts the channels for calcium absorption into the cell, which would otherwise lead to cell death. (2)
Doctors don't agree on the cause of autism but they do agree that oxidative stress, inflammation autoimmune disease, neuroinflammation and glutamate toxicity are all implicated (among other things such as mitochdrial disease). Further into the patent, we read about the cannabinoids that do not act as NMDA antagonist, but they are still neuroprotectant and treat diseases caused by oxidative stress. (3)
Further into the patent, it is stated that "if glutamate toxicity can be alleviated, neurological damage could also be lessened". Cannabis is an NMDA antagonist. What this means is that it shuts the channels for calcium absorption into the cell, which would otherwise lead to cell death. (2)
Doctors don't agree on the cause of autism but they do agree that oxidative stress, inflammation autoimmune disease, neuroinflammation and glutamate toxicity are all implicated (among other things such as mitochdrial disease). Further into the patent, we read about the cannabinoids that do not act as NMDA antagonist, but they are still neuroprotectant and treat diseases caused by oxidative stress. (3)
Excerpts from the patent which highlight it's link to autism spectrum disorders
(1) Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties…. This makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of a wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuro-protectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.
(2) A combination of the injury of hypoxia (inadequate oxygenation of the cell tissue) with the added insult of glutamate toxicity is.. believed to be ultimately responsible for cellular death. Hence if the additive insult of glutamate toxicity can be alleviated, neurological damage could also be lessened. Anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents have been proposed to reduce damage, but they often have poor access to structures such as the brain (which are protected by the blood brain barrier).
In vitro studies using cultured neurons have demonstrated that glutamate receptor antagonists reduce neurotoxicity.
Some of the research on these antagonists has focused on cannabinoids, a subset of which have been found to be NMDA receptor antagonists. U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,993 (3S,4S-delta-6-tetrahydrocannabinol-7-oic acids), U.S. Pat. No. 5,521,215 (sterospecific (+) THC enantiomers), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,867 (dimethylheptyl benzopyrans) have reported that these cannabinoids are effective NMDA receptor blockers
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is another of the cannabinoids that has been shown to be neuroprotective in cell cultures
No signs of toxicity or serious side effects have been observed following chronic administration of cannabidiol to healthy volunteers (Cunha et al., Pharmacology 21:175-185, 1980), even in large acute doses of 700 mg/day (Consroe et al., Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 40:701-708, 1991) but cannabidiol is inactive at the NMDA receptor. Hence in spite of its potential use in treating glaucoma and seizures, cannabidiol has not been considered a neuroprotective agent that could be used to prevent glutamate induced damage in the central nervous system.
In vitro studies using cultured neurons have demonstrated that glutamate receptor antagonists reduce neurotoxicity.
Some of the research on these antagonists has focused on cannabinoids, a subset of which have been found to be NMDA receptor antagonists. U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,993 (3S,4S-delta-6-tetrahydrocannabinol-7-oic acids), U.S. Pat. No. 5,521,215 (sterospecific (+) THC enantiomers), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,867 (dimethylheptyl benzopyrans) have reported that these cannabinoids are effective NMDA receptor blockers
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is another of the cannabinoids that has been shown to be neuroprotective in cell cultures
No signs of toxicity or serious side effects have been observed following chronic administration of cannabidiol to healthy volunteers (Cunha et al., Pharmacology 21:175-185, 1980), even in large acute doses of 700 mg/day (Consroe et al., Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 40:701-708, 1991) but cannabidiol is inactive at the NMDA receptor. Hence in spite of its potential use in treating glaucoma and seizures, cannabidiol has not been considered a neuroprotective agent that could be used to prevent glutamate induced damage in the central nervous system.
(3) It has surprisingly been found that cannabidiol and other cannabinoids can function as neuroprotectants, even though they lack NMDA receptor antagonist activity. This discovery was made possible because of the inventor's recognition of a previously unanticipated antioxidant property of the cannabinoids in general (and cannabidiol in particular) that functions completely independently of antagonism at the NMDA, AMPA and kainate receptors. Hence the present invention includes methods of preventing or treating diseases caused by oxidative stress, such as neuronal hypoxia, by administering a prophylactic or therapeutically effective amount of a cannabinoid to a subject who has a disease caused by oxidative stress.
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How does one patent a plant?
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More information on glutamates and autism:
The role of glutamate explained from Alzheimer Drugs for Autism research (specifically, the drug, Memantine):
The role of glutamate explained from Alzheimer Drugs for Autism research (specifically, the drug, Memantine):
