Duncan Mackie, PhD,
Director of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, MedPharm Holdings

Cinnamon Bidwell, PhD,
Institute of Cognitive Science Faculty, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Boulder

Our research group has a longstanding interest in the activity of cannabinoids for the treatment of inflammatory neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. The purpose of this proposal is to further develop methods of isolation to purify unique cannabinoids and characterize the effects of cannabinoids and cannabinoid mixtures on immune function via microglia activation states. Microglia are macrophages located in the central nervous system (CNS) and are the main immune defense in the CNS. During neurodegenerative disorders, microglia actively secrete inflammatory factors. This abundance of inflammatory signaling contributes to the neuronal damage observed in Alzheimer’s disease. To resolve the pro-inflammatory condition, microglia switch activation states and are able to inhibit the inflammatory response. Our hypothesis is that purified cannabinoids will attenuate the activation of microglia by shifting the microglia into the inhibitory state and thus reducing microglial inflammatory signaling. Ultimately, this work will provide the mechanistic basis for the development of cannabis-derived therapeutics for the treatment of neurological diseases with an inflammatory component.