Study: CBD Shows Anti-Tumor Effects in Burkitt Lymphoma Cells
- New research from Universidade Estadual de Campinas found that cannabidiol (CBD) may slow the growth of Burkitt lymphoma cells and reduce key cancer stem cell markers.
- The study tested two CBD nanoformulations (broad CBD with 0% THC and full CBD with 0.3% THC) on three Burkitt lymphoma cell lines and compared results with the chemotherapy drug daunorubicin.
- Both CBD formulations reduced cell viability and cancer stem cell marker CD133 across all cell lines, with broad CBD showing notable reductions in cell proliferation marker Ki67 in some lines.
- Researchers highlight the potential anti-proliferative effects of CBD but emphasize that further animal and clinical studies are necessary to confirm real-world treatment benefits.
New research published in Hematology, Transfusion and Cell Therapy found that cannabidiol (CBD) may help slow the growth of Burkitt lymphoma cells and reduce the presence of a key cancer stem cell marker. The study was conducted by researchers from Universidade Estadual de Campinas in Brazil. Burkitt lymphoma is an aggressive form of mature B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that is especially common among children and people with compromised immune systems. It is associated with a high mortality rate, and researchers say there remains a need for treatments that are both more effective and less toxic.
To explore whether CBD may have therapeutic potential, the researchers tested two nanoformulations of CBD on three Burkitt lymphoma cell lines: Daudi, Raji and Namalwa. One formulation was a broad CBD product containing 0% THC, while the other was a full CBD formulation containing 0.3% THC. The researchers also compared the results to daunorubicin, a chemotherapy drug used as a reference treatment.
After exposing the cells to the treatments, the researchers found that both CBD formulations and daunorubicin reduced cell viability in all three cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. Although daunorubicin was significantly more cytotoxic in two of the cell lines, both CBD formulations still showed measurable anti-cancer activity.
The study also examined how the treatments affected cell proliferation and cancer stem cell markers. Researchers found that broad CBD led to a significant reduction in Ki67, a marker tied to cell proliferation, in the Raji and Namalwa lines. Full CBD also reduced Ki67 by roughly 30%, but only in Namalwa cells. All of the treatments significantly reduced the number of CD133-positive cells across all three cell lines, a notable finding because CD133 is considered a cancer stem cell marker. None of the treatments reduced ALDH1, another stem cell marker examined in the study.
Researchers concluded that the in vitro findings point to possible anti-proliferative and anti-cancer stem cell effects from CBD nanoformulations, particularly the broad CBD version. They caution, however, that the results are limited to lab-based cell models and that animal and clinical studies are still needed to determine whether these effects could translate into real-world treatment benefits.