SCIENTIST OF THE WEEK: ALEX COHEN, '08, BIOLOGY

What do the immune system and marijuana and have in common? Lots,
according to senior biology major Alex Cohen.

Working in an independent study with Associate Professor of Chemistry
David Hall, Cohen is currently researching the relationship between
the immune system and a particular class of chemicals found in marijuana.

The marijuana chemicals Cohen focuses on are called cannabinoids.
Interestingly, Cannabinoids also apparently occur naturally in the
human body. Cohen's research pertains to the way the immune system
responds to these cannabinoids.

According to Cohen, the discovery of this class of chemicals is
relatively recent.

"What's really interesting about this is that endocannabinoids [those
produced by the human body] were discovered less than 20 years ago,"
Cohen said. "No one had any idea that they existed, and now we found
out they exist, and they're apparently really important."

"A growing body of evidence indicates that endocannabinoids are
involved in almost every major biological process that occurs in the
body," Cohen said. "I'm really interested in their involvement in the
regulation of [the] immune response."

Cohen has selected one specific cell type involved in the immune
response for his cannabinoid research. "I am looking at the effects of
cannabinoids on the production of reactive oxygen species in
macrophages -- a type of white blood cell," Cohen said.

Also currently working in the field of cannabinoid research are a
number of drug companies who are developing more effective
memory-enhancing drugs, appetite-enhancing drugs, and pain medication.

Cohen heard about cannabinoids from a lecture he attended at the
Medical College of Wisconsin during an internship two summers ago.
Cohen was a part of the Summer Program for Undergraduate Research at
MCW, which is in Milwaukee.

"I remember I went to a lecture on endocannabinoid research that this
professor was doing, and it just sounded interesting -- it really
fascinated me," Cohen said.

After returning to Lawrence, Cohen decided he wanted to learn more
about cannabinoids. That was when he turned to Hall.

"Professor Hall has a bit of a background in immunology, and we
decided to take our interests and put them together -- and we got
this," Cohen said.

Cohen's lab work consists of drawing blood provided from student
donors and extracting white blood cells. He then treats the white
blood cells with cannabinoids to see if the cannabinoids have any
effect on the production of reactive oxygen species.

After he graduates, Cohen plans on going to either graduate or medical
school, although he is not sure if he wants to continue studying
cannabinoids.

"I see myself with a career in research, but there isn't much funding
for endocannabinoid research right now," Cohen said. "Although,
cannabinoids are a very hot topic in biochemical research, so maybe I
could find myself doing something else with them."