Authors: Marcella Pesce, Giuseppe Esposito, Giovanni Sarnelli
Institutions:
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, ?Federico II? University of Naples, Naples, Italy
- GI Physiology Unit, University College London Hospital, London, UK
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, `Vittorio Erspamer?, La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Publication: Current Opinion in Pharmacology
Date: December 2018
Full paper:?https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471489218300183
Abstract:
The evolving policies regarding the use of therapeutic Cannabis have steadily increased the public interest in its use as a complementary and alternative medicine in several disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease. Endocannabinoids represent both an appealing therapeutic strategy and a captivating scientific dilemma. Results from clinical trials have to be carefully interpreted owing to possible reporting-biases related to cannabinoids psychotropic effects. Moreover, discriminating between symptomatic improvement and the real gain on the underlying inflammatory process is often challenging. This review summarizes the advances and latest discovery in this ever-changing field of investigation, highlighting the main limitations in the current use of these drugs in clinical practice and the possible future perspectives to overcome these flaws.