Possible Role of Cannabis in the Management of Neuroinflammation in Patients with Post-COVID Condition

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 25; no. 7; p. 3805
• Main Authors: Cárdenas-Rodríguez, Noemi, Ignacio-Mejía, Iván, Correa-Basurto, Jose, Carrasco-Vargas, Humberto, Vargas-Hernández, Marco Antonio, Albores-Méndez, Exal Manuel, Mayen-Quinto, Rodolfo David, De La Paz-Valente, Reynita, Bandala, Cindy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.04.2024
• Subjects: antioxidant; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Cannabidiol; Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists; Cannabis; Cognitive ability; COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; Cytokines; Depression, Mental; Development and progression; Dyspnea; Free radicals (Chemistry); Hallucinogens; Health aspects; Humans; Infections; Insomnia; Magnetic resonance imaging; Marijuana; Nervous system diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases; neuroinflammation; Neuroinflammatory Diseases; Olfaction disorders; Oxidative stress; Pathophysiology; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; post-COVID-19 condition; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Tetrahydrocannabinol; THC; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Mexico; cannabis; antioxidant; neuroinflammation; post-COVID-19 condition
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073805

The post-COVID condition (PCC) is a pathology stemming from COVID-19, and studying its pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment is crucial. Neuroinflammation causes the most common manifestations of this disease including headaches, fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety, among others. Currently, there are no specific management proposals; however, given that the inflammatory component involves cytokines and free radicals, these conditions must be treated to reduce the current symptoms and provide neuroprotection to reduce the risk of a long-term neurodegenerative disease. It has been shown that cannabis has compounds with immunomodulatory and antioxidant functions in other pathologies. Therefore, exploring this approach could provide a viable therapeutic option for PCC, which is the purpose of this review. This review involved an exhaustive search in specialized databases including PubMed, PubChem, ProQuest, EBSCO, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Clinical Trials. Phytocannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), and Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), exhibit significant antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties and have been shown to be an effective treatment for neuroinflammatory conditions. These compounds could be promising adjuvants for PCC alone or in combination with other antioxidants or therapies. PCC presents significant challenges to neurological health, and neuroinflammation and oxidative stress play central roles in its pathogenesis. Antioxidant therapy and cannabinoid-based approaches represent promising areas of research and treatment for mitigating adverse effects, but further studies are needed.