THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF CANNABINOIDS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/levv17n61-004Keywords:
Multiple Sclerosis, Cannabinoids, Cannabidiol, Tetrahydrocannabinol, Endocannabinoid System, Drug TherapyAbstract
INTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by demyelination and axonal damage, being one of the main causes of non-traumatic neurological disability in young adults. Given the limitations of conventional treatments, cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, emerge as a therapeutic alternative by interacting with the endocannabinoid system (ECB), modulating neuroinflammation through CB1 and CB2 receptors. The objective of this work is to critically analyze the efficacy of cannabinoids in the management of the disease, discussing the impacts of this modulation on inflammatory processes and future therapeutic perspectives. METHODOLOGY: This study consists of an integrative literature review conducted in the PubMed database. The search was based on MeSH/DeCS descriptors and free terms, including "Multiple Sclerosis" and "Cannabinoids," without language restriction for articles published between 2021 and 2026. RESULTS: After screening and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 articles were selected from the initial 452 studies to compose the corpus of analysis. The data were systematized in a summary table organized chronologically. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Cannabinoids, especially nabiximols, demonstrated efficacy in controlling spasticity and neuroprotective potential in patients with MS. Supervised therapeutic use presented a favorable safety profile, with mild adverse effects and absence of significant cognitive impairment. It is concluded that pharmacogenetics can contribute to optimizing therapy and increasing long-term clinical safety.
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References
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