University of Chicago researchers have shown that high quality CBD oil, without THC, crucially blocks the replication of Covid-19 inside human cells although it does not block the virus entering cells in the first place; it could be a useful preventative agent.
“No one in their right mind would have ever thought that it blocked viral replication, but that’s what it did,” said Professor Marsha Rosner of the Ben May Department of Cancer Research and a senior author of the study. “Surprisingly, it directly inhibited viral replication in lung cells.”
The scientists in the study (1) however cautioned that the COVID-blocking effects came only from a high-purity, specially formulated CBD and that consuming commercially available products may have no effect. Also, when they mixed in THC, the psychotropic compound, the CBD oil had less effect in blocking viral replication.
The researchers at the outset were looking into the known anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD. But, starting with lung cancer cells, they found that the virus entered the cells but its mRNA could not replicate. This was true for other cancer lines and for several different Covid-19 variants. The CBD acts by promoting host cell stress responses and generating interferon, which is an antiviral.
Can CBD oil prevent Covid infection in real life?
The researchers are suggesting that there should now be a proper clinical trial, but there is already some evidence that CBD is likely to work in real life. There is already a 'National COVID Cohort Collaborative study' (2). 1,212 patients with epilepsy on the study, were taking medicinal grade CBD orally in solution. And they tested positive for COVID-19 at significantly lower rates than a sample of matched patients from similar demographic backgrounds who were not taking CBD.
The researchers are confident; “We think this may have potential as a prophylactic treatment,” said Rosner. “Maybe you’re in a hot spot or you think you might have been exposed or you’ve just tested positive—that’s where we think CBD might have an effect.”
Cancer patients are particularly concerned about preventing Covid infection. Most, but not all, are at a higher risk of dying from cancer if they contract Covid. Research in New York showed death rates were highest for blood and lymph cancers, then pancreatic, then lung cancer, colorectal and ovarian. Surprisingly, people with breast and prostate cancer had lower levels of death after developing Covid.
This CBD research comes at the same time as Mayo Clinic research showing that many anti-cancer drugs, from Chemotherapy drugs to Ibrance and leukemia and lymphoma drugs, render Covid mRNA vaccines ineffective.
Go to: Cancer drugs inhibit benefits of mRNA Covid vaccines
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References:
- “Cannabidiol Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication through Induction of the Host ER Stress and Innate Immune Responses” ; Long Chi Nguyen, Dongbo Yang, Vlad Nicolaescu, Thomas J. Best, Haley Gula, Divyasha Saxena, Jon D. Gabbard, Shao-Nong Chen, Takashi Ohtsuki, John Brent Friesen, Nir Drayman, Adil Mohamed, Christopher Dann, Diane Silva, Lydia Robinson-Mailman, Andrea Valdespino, Letícia Stock, Eva Suárez, Krysten A. Jones, Saara-Anne Azizi, Jennifer K. Demarco, William E. Severson, Charles D. Anderson, James Michael Millis, Bryan C. Dickinson, Savas Tay, Scott A. Oakes, Guido F. Pauli, Kenneth E. Palmer,
- The National COVID Cohort Collaborative Consortium, David O. Meltzer, Glenn Randall and Marsha Rich Rosner, 20 January 2022, Science Advances. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi6110