Cannabinoids and Cancer: Novel Mechanisms, Targets, and Therapeutic Horizons

Dear Colleagues, 

Cannabis sativa and its derived compounds, cannabinoids (CBs), have been widely tested for the treatment of several pathologies (e.g., pain, sleep disorders, emesis, depression, and cancer). The FDA has already approved the use of some CB-based medicines for clinical application in certain countries. For instance, two delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) synthetic analogs, nabilone (Cesamet®), and dronabinol (Marinol®), are used to overcome the undesirable effects (e.g., nausea, vomiting) of chemotherapy. Nabiximols (Sativex®), a 1:1 mixture of THC and cannabidiol (CBD), is used in multiple sclerosis treatment, while CBD oil (Epidiolex®) is administered to pediatric patients suffering from epilepsy. Moreover, different types of CBs have been tested as potential cancer treatments. Some studies demonstrated that CBs, particularly endocannabinoids (ECs), exert a dual effect on tumor proliferation, which is strictly related to the concentration used. The main cannabinoids are represented by phytocannabinoids, of which the most studied are THC, which possesses psychotropic activity, and the non-psychoactive CBD. CBD and THC are formed via high-temperature decarboxylation of their acidic precursors, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and 9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). Other minor phytocannabinoids with relevant pharmacological features include cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabidivarin (CBDV). Three phenotypes of the C. Sativa plant have been identified: i) phenotype I, which has a higher concentration of THC; ii) phenotype II, with variable concentrations of THC and a higher concentration of CBD; and iii) phenotype III, which has a higher concentration of CBD. Other types of cannabinoids include endogenous cannabinoids, endocannabinoids, and synthetic cannabinoids, which have high anticancer potential, but also have significant side effects. CBs interact with specific receptors, termed cannabinoid receptors (CB-R), which exert many functions, including antitumor activity in several tumors (including breast cancer), through the modulation of different signaling pathways. To date, two receptors have been isolated and identified; these are CB1-R and CB2-R. CB1-R is expressed in the central nervous system. It possesses many biological functions, whereas CB2-R is expressed in peripheral cells and the immune system and can modulate immune cell migration and cytokine release. Both receptors have different expression profiles in breast, glioblastoma, pancreatic, and prostate cancer, among others. In addition, accumulated evidence suggests that cannabinoids may improve the efficacy of available therapeutic options for cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, surgery, and the use of targeted therapy. 

We are seeking submissions of original research, expert opinions, and reviews for the Special Issue “Cannabinoids and Cancer: Novel Mechanisms, Targets, and Therapeutic Horizons,” with the aim of adding to the growing knowledge on cannabinoids and cancer.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following: 

Cannabinoids and cancer: pre-clinical studies
Cannabinoids in adult with cancer
Impact of cannabinoids on cancer outcomes in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy
Cannabinoids in cancer pain treatment 

The following article types will be considered: 

1) Original articles.
2) Reviews (Narrative and Systematic review).
3) Expert opinions. 

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Sabrina Bimonte
Dr. Arturo Cuomo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• cancer treatment
• cannabinoid
• novel therapeutic strategic
• cannabidiol
• tetrahydrocannabinol