Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active ingredient in cannabis, has been shown to reverse conventional signs of brain aging in mice – a finding that could help find ways to keep our brains healthier and sharper for longer how old we are.
The new study builds on what was already known about the endocannabinoid system and the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) in the brain and their links to the gradual cognitive decline that occurs with age.
Furthermore, the team from Germany and Israel were able to observe how the anti-aging effects occur: through a signaling pathway involving the mTOR protein, which is associated with the healthy regulation of cellular metabolism, and hence the metabolome (the overall composition of small molecules in the body).
“We have now been able to demonstrate that THC treatment has a dual and tissue-dependent effect on mTOR signaling and the metabolome,” says molecular biologist Andras Bilkei-Gorzo of the University of Bonn in Germany.
Some of the same researchers had previously found that it improved memory and learning abilities in aging mice, suggesting that there might be a relationship between THC and cognition worth exploring.
The discovery could help keep our brains healthier
In this study, two groups of mice were used: young mice, about four months old, and an older group, about 18 months old. A few mice in each age group were given a small dose of THC daily for 28 days, and the effects were compared to those of age-matched controls, he writes.
Mice treated with THC showed an increase in mTOR activity in the brain and a greater production of proteins needed to form new synapses between neurons – which help with almost all aspects of brain function.
Furthermore, mTOR activity in adipose tissue decreased in the same way as on a calorie-restricted diet: In other words, the body begins to reduce some of its production processes in ways that have previously been shown to be biological.
Hope for significant improvements in brain health
“We conclude that long-term THC treatment initially has a cognitive-enhancing effect by increasing energy and synaptic protein production in the brain, followed by an anti-aging effect by decreasing mTOR activity and metabolic processes in the periphery,” says Bilkei-Gorzo.
These are potentially very exciting findings for protecting brain health in old age. We know from previous studies that THC could play a role in delaying the onset of dementia, and the drug clearly affects the brain in some pretty fundamental ways.
All this has yet to be seen in man, and it is worth remembering that, in fact, both harming the brain and helping it. However, if these mechanisms can be harnessed in a healthy way, there is hope for significant improvements in brain health.
The research was published in
