CANNABIS HOPE FOR BRAIN CANCER

CANNABIS is set to be used in the battle against deadly brain cancers that
affect around 4,000 people in the UK each year, it has emerged.

Scientists have shown that cannabinoids - the active ingredients
responsible for the drug's 'high' - hold back the growth of blood vessels
which feed tumours.

Tumours of the brain and the central nervous system kill about 340 Scots
each year, and many more undergo extensive surgery in a bid to save their
lives.

The cannabis findings hold out hope for brain tumour sufferers that they
could live longer and be treated using less invasive techniques.

The research will also reignite the debate over the use of cannabis for
other medicinal purposes. Many multiple sclerosis sufferers have campaigned
for the drug to be legalised, but ministers have been reluctant to allow
its widespread use. Although the status of cannabis was reclassified in
January, which meant that possession of the drug would be less harshly
punished, it has still not been legalised for medicinal purposes and
supplying cannabis is still treated as a serious offence.

The new research, which was conducted by scientists at Complutense
University in Madrid, saw cannabinoids injected into mice with gliomas,
which are fast-growing brain tumours.

The cannabinoids appear to block genes making a protein called VEGF
(vascular endothelial growth factor) that stimulates the sprouting of blood
vessels. Cutting off the blood supply to a tumour means it is unable to
grow and spread.

In studies, cannabinoids significantly reduced the activity of VEGF in
laboratory mice. They also lowered VEGF levels in tumour tissue samples
taken from two patients with glioblastoma multiforme, the most lethal type
of brain tumour.

About 4,400 new cases of brain tumour are diagnosed in the UK each year. A
small percentage of these are grade four gliomas, the most aggressive and
dangerous brain tumours, also known as glioblastoma multiforme.

Only about 6% of people diagnosed with these high grade cancers live for
more than three years.

The disease is normally treated with surgery, followed by radiotherapy
alone or in combination with chemotherapy. But the main tumour often evades
complete destruction and grows again to kill the patient.

Cannabinoids had previously been shown to inhibit the growth of blood
vessels in mice. But the mechanism involved remained a mystery and it was
not known if the same effect occurred in humans.

Professor Manuel Guzman, from Complutense University in Madrid, who led the
research, said: "In both patients, VEGF levels in tumour extracts were
lower after cannabinoid inoculation."

Writing in the journal Cancer Research, Guzman's team said the findings
suggested that cannabinoids may offer a potential new way to treat
incurable brain tumours.

A leading British cancer expert last night welcomed the findings of the
study. Dr Richard Sullivan, the Head of Clinical Programmes for Cancer
Research UK, said: "This research provides an important new lead compound
for anti-cancer drugs targeting cancer's blood supply. Although this work
is at an early stage of development other research has already demonstrated
that VEGF is an important drug target for a range of cancers.

"The key now will be to show further activity in pre-clinical cancer
models, find out in which combinations cannabinoids show greatest activity
and formulate a product that can be tested in man."

Biz Ivol, a veteran campaigner for the legalisation of cannabis for medical
purposes, last night hailed the results but claimed authorities would be
unlikely to act on the findings of the study.

In 2001, Ivol - who lives in Orkney - was charged with intent to supply
cannabis after it emerged that she baked chocolates with cannabis in them
and sent them to fellow sufferers to relieve their pain. Ivol was expected
to stand trial in 2003 but the case was dropped when the Crown decided not
to proceed because of Ivol's poor health. She then attempted suicide in
protest at her treatment.

She said: "It's very good news to hear that there is the possibility of a
new development in fighting cancer. But it really is getting more and more
ridiculous. There are all these trials and pieces of research which find
out all kinds of things but they won't legalise cannabis.

"It could be used to treat hundreds of things and it is legal in other
European countries.

"Why are we holding out in this country?"

Doug Keil, the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said
that officers were not opposed to the development of medicines based on
cannabis but warned that smoking the drug was still an offence.

Cannabis-based sprays are also under development but MS sufferers claim
that until the sprays are ready to be marketed they should be allowed
access to cannabis to ease their chronic pain.