Marijuana Can Delay the Rejection of Newly Transplanted Organs

Scientists and researchers have recently taken a whole series of steps to spread awareness of the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, in order to counter the negative comments of those opposed to the plant and to exploit those benefits when they are most needed. The latest studies are related to the surgical sphere.

According to researchers at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, THC (the psychoactive component found in grass) could forestall a patient's rejection of a transplanted organ. To test this, the researchers placed skin grafts on two groups of mice, making sure that they did not feature the right properties, so that the animals would end up rejecting them.

One of the groups was administered THC, while the other was given a placebo. Their results show that those who received the psychoactive element took longer to reject the skin graft and to present symptoms of rejection. And, even though the organ transplant was useless, the affected areas of their bodies were in very good condition.

One of the study’s authors, Mitzi Nagarkatti, explained that for the first time it has been demonstrated that cannabinoid receptors can play an important role in skin transplants. "This opens up a new area of ​​research that will lead to better ways to prevent transplant rejection and to treat inflammatory diseases," she said.

However, as many of the drugs that work on animals are not effective on people, these positive developments must be viewed with caution. The research must continue, more tests must be carried out on other animals and different types of mice, and clinical studies must be run on humans. In any case, the medical properties of marijuana compounds have been increasingly demonstrated in a wide range of fields.