OTHER RESEARCH
Some of the research conducted by Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research Faculty Associates goes beyond pain and mental health. These include other effects of cannabis as well as policy implications, societal impacts, medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, and other innovative topics.
Projects
Characterization of respiratory mucosal immune responses to combusted medicinal cannabis: An in vitro and in vivo dose-response experiment.
This study has two main aims. First we will perform an in vitro dose-response study with a single 24h cannabis smoke exposure using a human airway epithelial cell line (Calu-3) and a human monocyte cell line (THP-1). Cell pellets will be collected for RNA analysis beyond the scope of this proposal due to costs. Second we will perform an acute 4-day in vivo dose-response study with cannabis smoke exposure in mice. Outcome measurements will include bronchoalveolar lavage analysis for cellular composition (cell differential) and immune mediators (multiplex analysis), lung and draining lymph node immune cell phenotyping (flow cytometry), and lung pathology (goblet cell metaplasia).
Jeremy Hirota, PhD and Martin Stampfli, PhD
Synthetic Medicinal Chemistry Program
This research program will involve the positive allosteric modulation of CB1 and novel cannabinoid-inspired synthetic molecules in IP-free chemical space. The broad aim of this program is drug discovery and development primarily in the therapeutic area of neuropathic pain treatment but branching into other areas as opportunities arise.
Jakob Magolan, PhD