Cannabidiol as a multifaceted therapeutic agent: mitigating Alzheimer's disease pathology and enhancing cognitive function.

Abstract

Background: Cannabidiol (CBD), the second most abundant phytocannabinoid in Cannabis sativa, has garnered significant interest due to its non-psychoactive nature and diverse receptor interactions.

Methods: This study employs in vitro and in vivo methodologies to validate CBD's potential as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) by addressing key hallmarks of the condition and promoting neuroprotective effects on spatial memory.

Results: Our findings demonstrate CBD's ability to decrease pTau and Aβ aggregation and to mitigate their axonal transport between cortical and hippocampal neurons. Moreover, CBD treatment was shown to reduce neuroinflammation, as CBD was able to skew microglia towards a neuroprotective M2 phenotype while attenuating proinflammatory cytokine release in the 5xFAD AD mouse model. Notably, daily CBD injections (10 mg/Kg) for 28 days in 5xFAD mice resulted in significant improvements in both short- and long-term spatial memory. The study also reveals CBD's capacity to partially revert neurite formation loss induced by Aβ, Tau, and pTau proteins, suggesting a potential role in promoting neuronal plasticity. Additionally, CBD treatment led to a reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and increased neuronal viability in the presence of AD-associated protein aggregates.

Conclusions: These multifaceted effects of CBD, ranging from molecular-level modulation to behavioral improvements, underscore its potential as a comprehensive therapeutic approach for AD. The findings not only support CBD's neuroprotective properties but also highlight its ability to target multiple pathological processes simultaneously, offering a promising avenue for future AD treatment strategies.