Therapeutic Properties of CBD for Alzheimer’s Disease – Brain Health Education and Research Institute

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β and tau hyperphosphorylation as well as neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Current AD treatments do not stop or reverse the disease progression. It is unlikely that any drug acting on a single pathway or target will mitigate the complex pathoetiological cascade leading to AD. Therefore, a multifunctional drug approach targeting a number of AD pathologies simultaneously will provide better, wider-ranging benefits than current therapeutic approaches. Importantly, the endocannabinoid system has recently gained attention in AD research as it is associated with regulating a variety of processes related to AD, including oxidative stress, glial cell activation, and clearance of macromolecules.

CBD has demonstrated neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Recent studies demonstrate the ability of CBD to reduce reactive gliosis and the neuroinflammatory response as well as to promote neurogenesis. Importantly, CBD also reverses and prevents the development of cognitive deficits in AD rodent models. The studies provide “proof of principle” that CBD are valid candidates for novel AD therapies.