Study Shows Cannabinoids May Change Our Understanding Of Autoimmune Disorders

“As John Mayer tells us […] your body is a wonderland. When it comes to microbial life, this holds especially true for your gut. There, hundreds of residential species eat, breed, and excrete waste. Somehow, your intestines manage to thrive with this zoo inside them—for the most part. In some cases things aren’t so wonderful: your gut starts attacking itself in an autoimmune response that’s bad for microbes and host alike.”

The above is especially true for the millions of people that suffer from chronic inflammatory conditions, like Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel disease (IBD). Some of these sufferers have turned to cannabis to help ease their symptoms—a phenomenon that’s backed up by plenty of antidotal evidence, but little scientific research... until now.

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts and the University of Bath have found the physical process by which cannabis affects IBD, and other chronic ailments.

The study was among the first to show exactly how the active compounds in cannabis (known as cannabinoids) have anti-inflammatory effects on irritated bowels.

The discovery was accidental, and came while researchers were trying to grasp how the gut regulates itself.

They found that “a thin layer of epithelial cells mediates between our bodies and the microbial “zoo” living within.” These cells help to regulate what crosses into the gut – like neutrophils. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that “eats up some of the microbes” in the gut. Balance is needed to prevent these cells from killing too many peaceful microbes.

The study found that endocannabinoids prevent these neutrophils from crossing into the gut.

These findings may not be specific to the gut; epithelial cells are found throughout the body. This may mean such actions are taking place in different systems – and ultimately, that may change our understanding of autoimmune disorders.