New Edinburgh osteoporosis research to investigate effects of cannabis on thinning bones
Scientists are to recruit 200 heavy cannabis users to investigate whether the drug has a harmful affect on users’ bones.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh believe their research programme could lead to completely new drugs to treat osteoporosis, which work by preventing bone loss and also promoting bone formation.
Professor Stuart Ralston, who is leading the Arthritis Research Campaign-funded research over five years, said: “This will be an important first step to determine if new cannabinoid receptor-based treatments are likely to be of value in the fight against osteoporosis.”
The cannabis study is part of a £894,000 Arthritis Research Campaign-funded programme, building on previous research by the Edinburgh team, which showed that chemicals produced naturally in the body called cannabinoids have important effects on bone. Receptors for these substances are present in bone cells and play a crucial role in regulating bone density and bone loss.
It is known that components of cannabis trigger activation of these receptors – but it is unclear whether this is bad for the skeleton or whether it might protect against osteoporosis.
The team will recruit up to 200 heavy cannabis users from general practices in Edinburgh to explore the possible adverse effects of recreational cannabis on bone disease.
“Cannabis is the most widely-used illegal drug in the UK, particularly in the young, but virtually nothing is known about its possible effects on bone health,” explained Professor Ralston, Arthritis Research Campaign Professor of Rheumatology at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, based at the University of Edinburgh.
“The aim of our study is to determine if cannabis use negatively impacts on bone density, which is an important risk factor for osteoporosis in later life. The situation is complex because we know that cannabis is often smoked in combination with tobacco and so the study will take this into account. We will also take account of cannabis users’ diet, exercise and alcohol intake, since these are also known to influence bone health.”
The team’s previous research showed that cannabinoid receptors play a critical role in bones becoming thinner after the menopause. They have since found that the receptors are also involved in promoting new bone formation.
“This is an exciting discovery because it opens up the possibility that we can develop new drug treatments for osteoporosis which bind to cannabinoid receptors to prevent bone loss and promote bone formation,” said Professor Ralston.
“The treatments for osteoporosis that are out there now either work by preventing bone loss or by stimulating bone formation, so if we could develop a new treatment that worked in both ways at the same time, this would be a major advance.”
He added: “This will be an important first step to determine if cannabinoid receptor-based treatments are likely to be of value in the fight against osteoporosis.”
One in two women and one in five men are likely to suffer from osteoporosis, which leads to 200,000 fractures a year, 86,000 of which are broken hips. Existing drugs are inconvenient to take and also have side-effects.
