Impact of Cannabis-Based Medicine on Alzheimer’s Disease by Focusing on the Amyloid β- Modifications: A Systematic Study

Introduction: Deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide in the brain is the leading source of the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recent studies have suggested that anti-amyloidogenic agents may be a suitable therapeutic strategy for AD.

Aim: The current review was proposed to address the beneficial effects of cannabis-based drugs for the treatment of AD, focusing primarily on Aβ modifications.

Method: Keywords related to AD, Aβ, and cannabis-based on MeSH were identified and were searched in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Ovid-Medline, and Web of Science from inception until 15 March 2020. The full text of identified papers was obtained and assessed based on exclusion and inclusion criteria. The review is based on articles that have focused on AD and the amyloidogenic pathway.

Result: A total of 17 studies were identified based on the inclusion criteria; however, nine studies qualified for this systematic review. The maximum and minimum cannabis dosages, mostly CBD and THC in animal studies, were 0.75 and 50 mg/kg, respectively. Cannabis (CBD and THC) was injected for 10 to 21 days. The findings of the 9 articles indicated that cannabis-based drugs might modulate Aβ modifications in several AD models.

Conclusion: Our findings establish that cannabis-based drugs inhibited the progression of AD by modulating Aβ modifications.