Humans have been using cannabinoids—the active compounds found in the cannabis plant—for medicinal and ritual purposes for at least 5,000 years, with some archaeological evidence suggesting an even longer relationship with the plant. Compounds like THC and CBD—found in cannabis and known as exogenous cannabinoids—have some cousins in the human body. These cannabinoids, produced by our bodies, are called “endocannabinoids”, and since the evolution of the human race, they have been modulating a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological responses. The neuromodulatory network they form, in fact, helps maintain homeostasis—the body’s internal balance.
There are two primary endocannabinoids, and one of them—anandamide—is named after the Indian philosophical concept of ananda, a metaphysical condition related to profound stillness. Often called the “bliss molecule,” in its natural form it is highly unstable and breaks down almost immediately after being produced. The second, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), is found abundantly in the body and plays a key role in regulating immune responses and pain signalling. If exogenous cannabinoids like THC and CBD are like a flood that hits every receptor in the brain at once, endocannabinoids are like a precise “surgical strike”: they are released only where and when they are needed and break down quickly.
Now, a group of researchers from Northeastern University in the US has created the first synthetic endogenous cannabinoid compound that would not produce a “high,” but is more potent and stable. The researchers made a strategic modification to the endocannabinoid structure to ensure that it binds to cannabinoid receptors while also blocking the enzymes that would normally break down cannabinoid molecules. The precision of this modified structure also allows the compound to trigger the body’s natural analgesic (pain-killing) pathways without crossing into areas of the brain that produce psychoactive effects. Researchers say that the molecule they developed will have a wide range of applications, and they have begun testing it for protection from strokes and even the “reversal” of stroke effects. It will also be tested soon for pain-relief applications in inflammation, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.