Cannabinoids have been found to awaken hunger in nematode worms

Cannabinoids have been found to awaken hunger in nematode worms

Research from Oregon scientists may lead to the discovery of fundamentally new medications

Nematodes and mammals diverged on the evolutionary path about 500 million years ago. Surprisingly, the effect of cannabinoids on brain centers responsible for key life functions turned out to be practically identical. This is evidenced by research from the University of Oregon, published in the journal Current Biology.

The endocannabinoid system, affected by the active chemical elements of marijuana, plays a crucial role in life aspects such as food, anxiety, learning, memory, reproduction, metabolism, and much more. This system is one of the oldest brain structures in most living organisms.

Scientists not only confirmed the effect of cannabinoids on the hunger center but also studied how cannabinoid molecules and living organism receptors interact at the molecular level. Understanding this mechanism paves the way for obtaining fundamentally new medicinal drugs and developing technologies to evaluate the effectiveness of drugs for treating various diseases.

One of the experiment's authors, Sean Lockery, emphasized that the study became possible after the legalization of cannabis in Oregon in 2015.

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