Researchers show how THC can treat acute respiratory distress syndrome

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), as caused by a bacterial toxin known as Staphylococcal enterotoxin, can be completely prevented by treatment with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. This exciting find, recently published in the very cited British Journal of Pharmacology, also suggests a possible treatment for ARDS caused by COVID-19.

This new paper is based on research studies from the laboratories of Dr. Mitzi Nagarkatti and Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti at the University of South Carolina (UofSC) School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology. The Nagarkattis published “Protective Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Against Enterotoxin-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Mediated by Modulation of Microbiota,” with co-authors Amira Mohammed, Hasan Alghetaa and Juhua Zhou, who also work in their UofSC School of Medicine laboratories, and Saurabh Chatterjee of the UofSC Arnold School of Public Health. Drs. Mitzi and Prakash Nagarkatti have been researching for years how plant-derived compounds can be used to prevent and reduce inflammation in the body.

The incidence of ARDS in the United States is 78.9 per 100,000 persons / year and the mortality rate is 38.5 percent. During inhalation, Staphylococcal enterotoxin can cause ARDS by activating immune cells to produce massive amounts of cytokines that lead to “cytokine storm”, which can cause the lungs and other organs to fall, often resulting in death. This immune process is similar to that seen in patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to the hospital and developing ARDS accompanied by cytokine storm, leading to respiratory and multi-organ failure. These studies therefore increase the exciting possibility of using cannabinoids for treatment of ARDS seen in COVID-19 patients.

These studies have also shown that Staphylococcal enterotoxin alters the microbiome in the lungs, leading to the emergence of pathogenic microbiota. But THC also helps with this symptom, by promoting beneficial bacteria that suppress inflammation and thereby prevent the damage to the lungs.

“Acute respiratory distress syndrome is activated by a variety of etiologic agents. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs to treat ARDS, bringing the mortality rate close to 40 percent. Our research suggests that THC is very effective for treatment. of ARDS and hence clinical trials are critical to investigate if this works, ”said Mitzi Nagarkatti.

“Cytokine storm is an enormous clinical problem that leads to multi-organ failure and frequent death. It is also seen in COVID-19 patients, and there are no effective treatment modalities against this syndrome. We have been working on cannabinoids for over 20 years and found “that cannabinoids like THC are highly anti-inflammatory. Thus, our studies raise the exciting suggestion to test THC against ARDS seen in COVID-19 patients,” said Prakash Nagarkatti.

The Nagarkatti laboratory has been conducting pioneering research on cannabinoids for decades. In fact, their studies on the use of another cannabinoid derivative of the cannabis plant, cannabidiol (CBD), for the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis are well recognized in the field and have led to FDA approval of CBD as an orphan to treat this disorder,

The Nagarkatti Laboratory has published extensively to demonstrate that cannabinoids are potent anti-inflammatory agents that can be safely used to treat a variety of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, colitis, hepatitis and so on.