A review of endocannabinoid system and its pharmacological role as a drug target for cancer therapies

Abstract

Cancer is a genetic disorder that causes uncontrolled cell proliferation and the cells are unable to maintain apoptosis which leads the cells to cross their natural boundaries. Treatment of this diseases requires a complex system of medicines for this purpose endocannabinoid system serves as a potential target for effective medicine development. Endocannabinoid system is homeostasis system present in mammalians. It comprises of endogenous and exogenous ligands, membrane bound receptors and degrading enzymes. The ligands of this system can be an effective molecule for drug development. Cannabinoid molecule can cause apoptosis in cancer cell through three different pathways they include JNK and p38 MAPK activation pathway, ceramide generating pathway and autophagy pathway. By modulating these pathways cannabinoid can be effective against various types of cancer cells. These molecules also have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties and evidence shows that these properties can be useful in palliative care treatment with less side effects.