The cannabis sector is expanding, allowing people to invest in stocks, grow their plants, and share in the company’s growing revenue. A new study has surfaced with another benefit that CBD can offer: the healing of bacterial infections. As governments attempt to understand more about what the compounds may accomplish, a new study has arisen with another benefit that CBD can offer: the healing of bacterial infections.
- According to the research, CBD can kill the germs that cause gonorrhea and other infections/diseases [1].
- In Australia, gonorrhea is the second most frequent STI [2].
The public is aware of the numerous therapeutic properties that cannabis (CBD) can provide. The cannabis ingredient is acknowledged in both stores and pharmacies for its ability to alleviate inflammation and pain. According to new studies from The University of Queensland and Botanix Pharmaceuticals Limited, the molecule may be capable of more. CBD, according to their UQ News article, can fight the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, meningitis, and legionnaires disease.
This discovery could revolutionize how people treat bacterial infections, especially in this modern class of antibiotics. This would be the first time in the last six decades that a new class has been presented, reinventing natural solutions to such problems.
Who is Dr. Blaskovich and What Is His Discovery About CBD?
CBD can destroy various strains of bacteria, including the one that causes gonorrhea, according to Dr. Mark Blaskovich, an associated research professor at Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience.
“This is the first time CBD has also been shown to kill Gram-negative bacteria,” he said. These bacteria have an extended epithelial layer, which acts as a second line of defense, making antibiotics more difficult to penetrate.” [3]
Given that gonorrhea is only second to chlamydia among the most common sexually transmitted illnesses in Australia, this is significant progress. Doctors struggled to treat gonorrhea before this research began because the strain is resistant to drugs. The defense, on the other hand, fails to hold up against the usage of CBD.
CBD has long been known to help with immunity and healing, but the findings of this study revealed that it also affects Gram-positive bacteria. MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), for example, has always been resistant to antibiotics, but CBD is fairly efficient in neutralizing it. CBD breaks down the growth of bacteria known as a biofilm as it is exposed to the bacteria. The action of biofilm is comparable to that of plaque on teeth, which is why MRSA is so resistant to therapy.
To figure out how the bacteria altered, the researchers produced a lab-based copy of a two-week treatment for a patient, using CBD to kill the germs. Dr. Blaskovich expressed his thoughts as follows:
“Even when researchers accelerated capacity growth and increase antibiotic concentration during ‘treatment,’ cannabidiol showed a minimal likelihood to generate resistance in bacteria.”
“We assume cannabidiol kills germs by shattering their outer cell membranes,” the professor concluded based on what they said, “But we don’t know exactly how it accomplishes that and needs to perform further research.”
That isn’t to suggest the researchers didn’t go further. They also discovered that altering the molecular structure of this natural substance resulted in chemical analogs. Dr. Blaskovich noted that when they utilized chemical analogs to treat the germs,
“This is very interesting since no current biological drugs have been developed for Gram-negative infections have been identified and licensed since the 1960s, and we can now contemplate creating new CBD analogs with superior characteristics,”.
With this study, there’s a good chance that CBD will be used in antimicrobial therapies in the future. The pandemic’s spread has only served to emphasize this need.
Vince Ippolito, President and Executive Chairman of Botanix Says:
“Congratulations to Dr. Blaskovich and his team for producing this substantial piece of research the published data confirms the promise of synthetic cannabinoids as antimicrobials,”
Ippolito also stated that they are prepared to develop future CBD-based therapies, calling this discovery “a breakthrough that the world urgently requires.” Botanix and the Institute collaborated to make considerably more progress than Dr. Blaskovich and his team could have done on their own. Botanix focuses on developing formulations, which helps them better understand how CBD combats microorganisms.
Botanix may now use CBD in the development of a topical compound, which they are now testing in clinical trials to remove MRSA before patients undergo surgery. The findings of these trials should be available within a year, allowing for the treatment of various bacterial infections.
“Now that we’ve proven that cannabidiol is effective against these Gram-negative bacteria,” Dr. Blaskovich continued, “we’re looking at its method of action, enhancing its activity, and looking for additional related molecules to pave the way for a new class of antibiotics.”
