Smoking marijuana may weaken the immune system and increase the risk of infections and cancer, according to a new study. An international team of experts found that cannabis promotes the production of cells that weaken the body's resistance against the development of infections and certain tumors.
The research results were published in the European Journal of Immunology (European Journal of Immunology).
The team, led by Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina, USA, studied the effect of the chemicals in marijuana, cannabinoids.
Among these compounds in the plant include the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a psychoactive ingredient that doctors often use to relieve pain.
reasons But why marijuana weakens the immune system? According to Dr. Nagarkatti, the cause lies in a type of immune cell that was discovered recently.
The expert explained that cell, known as MDSC (for its acronym in English), unlike most of the majority of immune cells, which are concentrated in fighting infections and cancer. The MDSC is responsible for suppressing the body's defenses.
The team led by Dr. Nagarkatti demonstrated that cannabinoids may trigger the release of massive amounts of MDSC.
Previously, researchers at the Unit of Neuropharmacology, University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bdiscovered the mechanisms by which marijuana affects the memory.
long been known that cannabis decreases the ability to remember by its action on the hippocampus, the area of the brain that regulates memory and learning.
Despite its ambiguous legal status, marijuana use for medical purposes in several countries (U.S., Canada and the Netherlands) as an analgesic for cancer patients, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, AIDS and other painful conditions. (BBC)
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