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The Role of Cannabinoids in Human Health

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 558

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the discovery of human cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands, cannabinoid research has shown exponential growth in both the role of the endogenous cannabinoid system in health and the potential implications for treating pathological conditions. The development of synthetic cannabinoid molecules further accelerated progress in this research area. The Special Issue of the Molecules journal focuses on the mechanisms of cannabinoids in human health to lay the foundation for exploring novel substances interacting with the endogenous cannabinoid system for healthy aging and disease prevention. We invite manuscripts related to the impact of cannabinoids on the central nervous system in terms of neuroprotection and the potential effects on neurodegeneration. Submissions from other areas of cannabinoid research, such as immune response to inflammation and infection, are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Christian Lehmann
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • cannabinoids
  • synthetic cannabinoids
  • human health

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 2651 KB  
Article
BI-5756 Reduces Graft-Versus-Host Disease Through CB1-Mediated Treg Upregulation
by Sena Kim, Abdul-Jalil Dania, Sora Lim and Jaebok Choi
Molecules 2025, 30(17), 3517; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30173517 - 28 Aug 2025
Viewed by 355
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) has been implicated in multiple inflammatory diseases by regulating pro-inflammatory mediators or altering immune cell polarization. However, the expression and direct functional role of CB1 in T cells remain largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that primary murine T cells [...] Read more.
Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) has been implicated in multiple inflammatory diseases by regulating pro-inflammatory mediators or altering immune cell polarization. However, the expression and direct functional role of CB1 in T cells remain largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that primary murine T cells express CB1 and that its novel agonist, BI-5756, directly increases the frequencies of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in primary murine pan T cells after activation. In addition, BI-5756 exhibits an in vivo protective effect against graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), an allogeneic T cell-mediated inflammatory complication after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), resulting in an improved overall survival with enhanced platelet recovery and reconstitution of bone marrow-derived B and T cells. BI-5756 also directly suppresses tumor cell growth and upregulates MHC I, MHC II, and CD80 on tumor cells, which may subsequently enhance T cell-mediated anti-tumor responses in mixed lymphocyte reaction with A20 cells. The ability of BI-5756 to increase Tregs was significantly abrogated by rimonabant, a potent and selective CB1 antagonist, suggesting that the immunomodulatory effect of BI-5756 is mediated via CB1. In summary, BI-5756, a potent CB1 agonist, increases Tregs while preserving anti-tumor responses in vitro and effectively reduces GvHD in vivo. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Cannabinoids in Human Health)
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