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The Role of Cannabinoids in Human Health
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The Role of Cannabinoids in Human Health

A Special Issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049) belonging to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 2824

Editor

Prof. Dr. Christian Lehmann

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Interests: cannabinoids; infection; sepsis and its early indications; intravital imaging microcirculation; septic shock stroke
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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

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 short 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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules 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 2700 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.

Keywords

  • cannabinoids
  • synthetic cannabinoids
  • human health

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 5380 KB  
Article
Acute Toxicity of Three Synthetic Cannabinoids: First In Vivo Preclinical Study
by Silviu-Iulian Filipiuc, Carmen Solcan, Bogdan-Ionel Tamba, Leontina-Elena Filipiuc, Veronica Bild, Daniela-Carmen Ababei, Gabriela-Dumitrița Stanciu, Maria-Raluca Gogu, Cristina-Mariana Uritu, Cezar Ilie Foia and Walther Bild
Molecules 2026, 31(13), 2365; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31132365 - 5 Jul 2026
Viewed by 641
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are new psychoactive substances associated with acute intoxications. Experimental data obtained under controlled and comparable conditions remain limited for this category of compounds. This descriptive, hypothesis-generating screening study aimed to characterize the acute toxicity profile of three [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are new psychoactive substances associated with acute intoxications. Experimental data obtained under controlled and comparable conditions remain limited for this category of compounds. This descriptive, hypothesis-generating screening study aimed to characterize the acute toxicity profile of three SCs, JWH-007, AM-694, and MAB-CHMINACA. Materials and Methods: Acute toxicity was evaluated in female Swiss Albino mice, in accordance with the OECD 423 guideline, following oral and intraperitoneal administration. Animals were monitored for 14 days for behavioral and clinical signs of toxicity. At the end, histopathological examination was performed to describe organ-level changes. Serum concentrations of the tested compounds were quantified by LC-ESI-MS/MS 24 h after intraperitoneal administration. Results: The three compounds were associated with distinct behavioral, clinical, and histopathological observations. JWH-007 was associated with transient behavioral depression and histopathological changes in peripheral organs. AM-694 was associated with histopathological changes in systemic organs and limited behavioral manifestations. MAB-CHMINACA was associated with acute behavioral toxicity and central nervous system lesions, including neuronal vacuolization, necrosis, oedema, and inflammatory changes. Conclusions: These preliminary findings describe compound-specific in vivo toxicity patterns and may inform the design of future confirmatory studies on SCs’ toxicity. The observed behavioral and histopathological changes should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating and require statistical validation before conclusions can be drawn regarding comparative toxicity, structural class effects, or predictive value for risk stratification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Cannabinoids in Human Health)
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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 1458
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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