Skin cancer, effect of cannabinoids in animal models

Disease modelTreatmentComparatorResultsRef.
Athymic nude mice, BRAF wild-type melanoma xenograftsTHC (15 mg/kg per day p.o. for 20 days

Vehicle;

THC-CBD (extract, ~7.5 + 7.5 mg/kg per day, p.o.);

TMZ 5 mg/kg p.o. per day, 20 days

THC and CBD + THC (extract) signif. inhibited xenograft growth and were more effective than TMZ (order: CBD + THC > THC > TMZ > vehicle)[143]
B16 melanoma; C57BL/6 wild-type mice and CB1/CB2 deficient miceTHC 5 mg /kg per day s.c., 25 daysVehicleTHC inhibits HCmel12 melanoma growth but does not affect B16 and CB1/CB2 deficient Hcmel12[146]
A2058 s.c. xenograft, male NOD scid gamma (NSG) miceCBD 10 mg/kg + THC 10 mg/kg s.c. per day b.w. for 21 days

Vehicle only,

MEKi (0.75 mg/kg per day)

CBD + THC + MEKi

All three treatments showed a signif. reduction in tumour volume and in tumour area as compared to vehicle, without a statistically signif. difference between groups (CBD + THC vs. MEKi, MEKi vs. CBD + THC + MEKi, CBD + THC vs. CBD + THC + MEKi); MEKi alone reduced tumour mass more efficiently than CBD + THC[144]
Murine B16F10 melanoma tumours, C57BL/6 miceCBD (5 mg/kg i.p., twice weekly)Control; cisplatin (i.p), 5 mg/kg once weeklyIncreased the survival and reduced tumour size as compared to controls, although less than cisplatin; quality of life and movement of CBD-treated mice were better than with cisplatin[147]

MEKi: mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor trametinib; signif.: significant; p.o.: per os; ~: about