Could A Cannabis Ingredient Help Reduce Lung Damage From COVID-19? This Study Claims It Can

Scientists and researchers are looking in every corner to find a cure for the novel coronavirus while also studying the ways one can improve their health after they have recovered from the highly viral disease.

A study published in the Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research back in July had revealed that Cannabidiol or CBD may help reduce the cytokine storm and excessive lung inflammation that is killing patients with COVID-19.

Now, researchers have found clues to explain how the process might work.

CBD is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid (chemical compound) found in the ingredients of cannabis (marijuana).

Also read: Preliminary Study Suggests Cannabis Extracts May Help Prevent COVID-19

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One way CBD works to reduce the cytokine storm is by enabling an increase in the levels of a natural peptide called apelin, claims a new study published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

Apelin is said to reduce inflammation and its levels are dramatically reduced in the face of cytokine storm.

Apelin levels go way down with the viral infection, which has killed over 1.1 million people worldwide, said the study, adding that CBD quickly helps normalise those levels along with lung function.

"It was dramatic in both directions," said corresponding author of the study Babak Baban from Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University in the US.

Also read: Study Finds That Menopausal Women Use Cannabis To Manage Their Symptoms

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Blood levels of the peptide dropped close to zero in their deadly adult respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS model and increased 20 times with CBD, said the new study.

"CBD almost brought it back to a normal level," Jack Yu, Chief of Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Medical College of Georgia.

Apelin is a pervasive peptide made by cells in the heart, lung, brain, fat tissue and blood, and is an important regulator in bringing both blood pressure and inflammation down, said Baban.

As mentioned in the beginning, the researchers reported this summer in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research that treatment with CBD reduced excessive lung inflammation, enabling improvements in lung function, heathier oxygen levels, and repair of some of the structural damage to the lungs that are classic with ARDS.

The investigators said then more work was needed, including finding how CBD produced the significant changes as well as human trials, before it should be included as part of a treatment regimen for COVID-19.

Now, they have correlated those improvements with regulation of apelin. While they did not attribute all CBD's benefits to apelin, they said the peptide clearly has an important role in this scenario.

Also read: Canadian Pharma Company's Cannabis-Based Drug Could Treat COVID-19 Side Effects

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Some believe CBD to have many potential therapeutic benefits such as anti-inflammatory, alalgesic, anti-anxiety, and seizure-suppressant properties. According to the study, CBD could help patients showing signs of respiratory distress avoid extreme interventions like mechanical ventilation as well as death from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Disclaimer: While there have been several different types of treatments being given to COVID-19 patients across the world, there isn¡¯t any one drug that has worked as a sure-shot treatment yet. Don¡¯t self medicate and always consult your doctor or medical health professional for any symptoms.

Inputs: IANS