Peer-reviewed industrial hemp research papers, sorted by publication date. Browse the latest findings on hemp cultivation, processing, materials science, biomedical applications, and regulatory science from PubMed, OpenAlex, and other indexed sources.
Four pivotal randomized placebo-controlled trials have demonstrated that adjunctive therapy with cannabidiol (CBD) improves seizure control in patients with Dravet syndrome (DS) and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). Between 47% and 68% of patients allocated to CBD treatment in these trials were receiving clobazam (CLB), which shows complex interactions with CBD resulting, in particular, in a 3.4- to 5-fold increase in plasma concentration of the active metabolite norclobazam. This raises concern as
Low-glucose and -insulin conditions, associated with ketogenic diets, can reduce the activity of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway, potentially leading to a range of positive medical and health-related effects. Here, we determined whether mTORC1 signaling is also a target for decanoic acid, a key component of the medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) ketogenic diet. Using a tractable model system, <i>Dictyostelium</i>, we show that decanoic acid can decrease mTOR
In this multicenter study, only 13% of infants with acute symptomatic neonatal seizures developed post-neonatal epilepsy by age 24-months. However, there was a high risk of severe neurodevelopmental impairment and drug-resistant seizures among children with post-neonatal epilepsy. Days of EEG-confirmed neonatal seizures was a potentially modifiable epilepsy risk factor. An EEG at three months was not clinically useful for predicting epilepsy. These practice changing findings have implications fo
This study demonstrates that soticlestat-mediated inhibition of CH24H provides therapeutic benefit for the treatment of Dravet syndrome in mice and has the potential for treatment of DEEs.
In the last 30 years, over 20 new anti-seizure medicines (ASMs) have been introduced into the market for the treatment of epilepsy using well-established preclinical seizure and epilepsy models. Despite this success, approximately 20-30% of patients with epilepsy have drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). The current approach to ASM discovery for DRE relies largely on drug testing in various preclinical model systems that display varying degrees of ASM drug resistance. In recent years, attempts have be
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous, non-coding, single-stranded RNAs with a length of approximately 22 nucleotides that are found in eukaryotes. miRNAs are involved in the regulation of cell differentiation, proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and metabolism by regulating the expression of their target genes. Emerging studies have suggested that various miRNAs play key roles in the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) disorders and may be viable therapeutic targets. In particul
Generalized epilepsy affects 24 million people globally; at least 25% of cases remain medically refractory. The thalamus, with widespread connections throughout the brain, plays a critical role in generalized epilepsy. The intrinsic properties of thalamic neurons and the synaptic connections between populations of neurons in the nucleus reticularis thalami and thalamocortical relay nuclei help generate different firing patterns that influence brain states. In particular, transitions from tonic f
Peer-reviewed industrial hemp research by Joseph Sullivan; Alison Deighton; Maria Candida Vila; Shelagh M. Szabo; B. Maru; Jacqueline S. Gofshteyn; Emma S. James; Salvador Rico; Sameer M. Zuberi published in Epilepsy & Behavior (2022).
Peer-reviewed industrial hemp research by Arunan Selvarajah; Quratulain Zulfiqar Ali; Paula Marques; Marlene Rong; Danielle M. Andrade published in Seizure (2021).
Clinical trials provide the evidence needed for rational use of medicines. The evolution of drug trials follows largely the evolution of regulatory requirements. This article summarizes methodological changes in antiepileptic drug trials and associated advances in knowledge starting from 1938, the year phenytoin was introduced and also the year when evidence of safety was made a requirement for the marketing of medicines in the United States. The first period (1938-1969) saw the introduction of
The primary goal of the recommended dose reductions of concomitant ASMs is to prevent or resolve adverse effects, thereby allowing cenobamate to reach the optimal dose to achieve the maximal potential of improving seizure control.
Glia, a non-excitable cell type once considered merely as the connective tissue between neurons, is nowadays acknowledged for its essential contribution to multiple physiological processes including learning, memory formation, excitability, synaptic plasticity, ion homeostasis, and energy metabolism. Moreover, as glia are key players in the brain immune system and provide structural and nutritional support for neurons, they are intimately involved in multiple neurological disorders. Recent advan
Given the association between a range of neurological disorders and changes in the gut microbiota, interest in the gut microbiota has recently increased. In particular, the significant involvement of the autoimmune processes in the development of epilepsy, one of the most serious and widespread neurological diseases, has led to a suggested link with the gut microbiome. Because the constitution of the gut microbiome can be influenced by diet, dietary therapy has been shown to have a positive impa
Seizure semiology is an easily accessible sign of genetic epilepsies in neonates. Early identification of the seizure type can prompt appropriate workup and treatment. Tonic seizures are associated with channelopathies and are often controlled by sodium channel-blocking antiseizure medications.
This study provides Class II evidence that a combined <i>SCN1A</i> genetic score and seizure onset model distinguishes Dravet syndrome from other GEFS+ phenotypes.
Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), a naturally occurring, enteric pathogen of mice is a Cardiovirus of the Picornaviridae family. Low neurovirulent TMEV strains such as BeAn cause a severe demyelinating disease in susceptible <i>SJL</i> mice following intracerebral infection. Furthermore, TMEV infections of <i>C57BL/6</i> mice cause acute polioencephalitis initiating a process of epileptogenesis that results in spontaneous recurrent epileptic seizures in approximately 50% of affect
Study results demonstrate that fenfluramine provides clinically meaningful (≥50%) seizure frequency reduction over an extended period in patients with Dravet syndrome. No patient developed VHD or PAH, and fenfluramine was generally well tolerated.
Peer-reviewed industrial hemp research by Emilie Auditeau; François Chassagne; Geneviève Bourdy; Mayoura Bounlu; Jérémy Jost; Jaime Luna; Voa Ratsimbazafy; Pierre‐Marie Preux; Farid Boumédiène published in Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2019).
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are disease-modifying agents affecting protein-coding and noncoding ribonucleic acids. Depending on the chemical modification and the location of hybridization, ASOs are able to reduce the level of toxic proteins, increase the level of functional protein, or modify the structure of impaired protein to improve function. There are multiple challenges in delivering ASOs to their site of action. Chemical modifications in the phosphodiester bond, nucleotide sugar, an
These results support the need for a controlled trial of metformin in children with FXS under 7 years old whose brains are in a critical developmental window and thus may experience a greater degree of clinical benefit from metformin.
Peer-reviewed industrial hemp research by Willian Lazarini-Lopes; Raquel A. Do Val-da Silva; Rui Milton Patrício da Silva-Júnior; João Pereira Leite; Norberto Garcia‐Cairasco published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (2020).
Peer-reviewed industrial hemp research by Simona Lattanzi; Eugen Trinka; Gaetano Zaccara; Pasquale Striano; Cinzia Del Giovane; Mauro Silvestrini; Francesco Brigo published in CNS Drugs (2020).
Soticlestat treatment resulted in statistically significant, clinically meaningful reductions from baseline in median seizure frequency (combined patient population) and in convulsive seizure frequency (DS cohort). Drop seizure frequency showed a nonstatistically significant numerical reduction in children with LGS. Soticlestat had a safety profile consistent with previous studies.