Andrea Fleig & Reinhold Penner
Center for Biomedical Research at The Queen’s Medical Center, and University of Hawaii Cancer Center and John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, USA
Cannabinoids are known to affect numerous biological activities associated with e.g., pain, inflammation, cancer, and seizure disorders, although the underlying mechanisms of action remain ill-defined. Our department has studied various mechanisms that might account for the anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects of cannabinoids, and we have identified the magnesium ion channel TRPM7 as one molecular mechanism modulated by various cannabinoids. We have demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects of cannabinoids in vivo in models of acute and chronic kidney disease involving the TRPM7 mechanism1. We further have demonstrated that cannabinoids modulate TRPM7 directly, which is emerging as a potential drug target for ischemic diseases and certain cancers2.
Funding was provided in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health: NIH/NIGMS P01GM078195 (A.F), NIH/NCI U54CA143727 (R.P.), NIH/NCCIH R01AT011162 (R.P.), NIH/NINDS R61NS124922 (A.F.) and Hamamatsu-Queen’s PET Imaging, LLC (A.F., R.P.).
- Suzuki S, Fleig A, Penner R (2023) CBGA ameliorates inflammation and fibrosis in nephropathy. Scientific Reports 13(1):6341
- Suzuki S, Wakano C, Monteilh-Zoller MK, Cullen AJ, Fleig A, Penner R (2023) Cannabigerolic Acid (CBGA) inhibits the TRPM7 ion channel through its kinase domain Function 5(1):zqad069.