Study Reveals CBN as an Effective Treatment Option for Neurological Disorders

Neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are disorders related to the nervous system. Even though these disorders are very common and affect 1 in every 10 individuals above the age of 65, treatment options for these disorders are very limited. So, the researchers from the Salk Institute conducted research to understand whether compounds such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) derived from cannabis plants are effective in treating these neurological disorders.   

The research published in Redox Biology was focused on CBN’s effectiveness in treating neurological disorders. In neurological disorders, nerve cells (neurons) usually die after a certain point due to mitochondrial dysfunction. To protect this dysfunction, researchers derived four new derivatives based on the structure of CBN.   

Researchers induced these derivatives in mice and humans with neurological disorders. When researchers observed their functions, they noticed they had neuroprotective properties that protected nerve cells from death.    

Researchers created a Drosophila fruit fly model of traumatic brain injury and tested the functions of all the derivatives. When researchers observed the results of this model, they noticed one of these four derivatives named CP1, was effective in treating traumatic brain injury. This CP1 derivative can be used to treat injuries caused during sports or accidents.   

This study’s results show that CBN and its derivatives have healing properties and can be used to treat people with neurological disorders. Although this research is helpful, further research is needed to understand the structure of these CBN derivatives and their effectiveness.   

Healthcare professionals can suggest CBN to treat traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease, as its efficacy is proven in this research. Researchers can use this research as a guide while making some new effective therapies for these disorders. The findings of this research are very positive as it will give a new way for researchers to make new treatments for neurological disorders.  

Reference Link:   

Zhibin Liang et al, Fragment-based drug discovery and biological evaluation of novel cannabinol-based inhibitors of oxytosis/ferroptosis for neurological disorders, Redox Biology (2024).   

DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103138