CBD Suppresses HIV Replication and Immune Inflammation, Finds Study
- CBD suppressed HIV and SIV replication and reduced inflammation related to infection in laboratory models, including rhesus macaques and human immune cells.
- CBD reduced viral replication and viral reservoir establishment during acute SIV infection in macaques, with effects comparable to some measures of first-line antiretroviral therapy.
- CBD modulated immune response by slowing CD4+ T cell decline, reducing inflammatory monocytes, lowering interferon-inducible cytokines, and selectively reducing HIV-triggered inflammation without broadly suppressing immunity.
- The study identified mechanisms involving endocannabinoid receptors and inhibition of NF-κB and STAT1 activation, but authors emphasized the need for clinical trials before considering CBD as a treatment adjunct in humans.
A new study published by Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found that cannabidiol (CBD) suppressed HIV and SIV replication in laboratory models, while also reducing inflammation tied to infection.
Researchers from Emory University School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Florida State University, University of California San Diego, Weill Cornell Medicine and other institutions conducted the study using rhesus macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), as well as human immune cells infected with HIV.
The study found that CBD, given without antiretroviral therapy, reduced viral replication and the establishment of viral reservoirs during acute SIV infection in rhesus macaques. Researchers said the reductions were comparable in some measures to those seen with first-line antiretroviral therapy.
CBD also slowed CD4+ T cell decline, reduced expansion of inflammatory monocytes and lowered several interferon-inducible cytokines in macaques. In human macrophages, T cells and microglia, CBD reduced HIV replication and selectively lowered inflammatory cytokines when an immune response was triggered by HIV.
Researchers said CBD did not appear to broadly suppress immune function. Instead, its anti-inflammatory effects were most evident when inflammation was present, suggesting a more targeted immune-modulating effect.
The study also found that CBD influenced endocannabinoid receptors and related signaling pathways, while inhibiting NF-κB and STAT1 activation, mechanisms involved in HIV/SIV transcription and immune response.
The authors cautioned that the findings come from animal and cell models and should not be interpreted as evidence that CBD can treat HIV in humans. They said placebo-controlled clinical trials are needed to evaluate CBD as a possible adjunct to antiretroviral therapy, not as a replacement for it.