Cannabis has been used medicinally for millennia. Thousands of modern studies have revealed even more about the plant’s true potential. From relieving chronic pain to reducing seizures, medical marijuana has cemented its place as a legitimate treatment for a wide range of ailments. According to new research, the plant may prevent a deadly infection that affects hundreds of thousands of people every year.
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Cryptococcus neoformans is a serious fungal pathogen that primarily affects individuals with compromised immune systems. People living with HIV/AIDS are often affected. The fungus is responsible for approximately 625,000 deaths worldwide every year. Scientists examined a number of compounds in an effort to reduce fatalities, including two from the cannabis plant.
Cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidivarin (CBD-V) were able to kill the C. neoformans pathogen in a lab setting quickly, outperforming currently available antifungal treatments. Researchers then tested the compounds on moth larvae because their immune response is similar to that of mammals.
The larvae were subjected to small burn wounds. Some were left with just the wounds, while others were infected with C. neoformans and then received various treatments. One group was given CBD dissolved in dimethyl sulfide, and one group received only dimethyl sulfide. The last group was treated with Amphotericin B, an existing antifungal medication.
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CBD was found to be the most effective treatment, with survival rates far surpassing the two other treatments. The result was promising, indicating that topical CBD could and should be further investigated as a potential treatment for skin fungal infections. While further research is needed to determine if the compound can treat the infection if it spreads to internal organs, the initial study results offered hope.
“The in vitro and in vivo antifungal efficacy of CBD and CBDV established in this study highlights the potential of phytocannabinoids to address the pressing need for effective and new treatments for fungal infections,” the study authors concluded.
