Endocannabinoid System Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease

Pâmela C L Ferreira; Bruna Bellaver; Guilherme Povala; Wagner S Brum; Cécile Tissot; Atef Badji; Matthew E Sloan; Andréa L Benedet; Pedro Rosa-Neto; Nicholas J Ashton; Tharick A Pascoal; Antoine Leuzy; Eduardo R Zimmer

doi:10.1089/can.2022.0151

Endocannabinoid System Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease

Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2023 Feb;8(1):77-91. doi: 10.1089/can.2022.0151. Epub 2022 Nov 17.

Authors

Pâmela C L Ferreira^{1

2}, Bruna Bellaver^{1

2}, Guilherme Povala^{1

2}, Wagner S Brum^{1

3}, Cécile Tissot^{2

4

5}, Atef Badji^{6

7}, Matthew E Sloan^{8

9

10

11

12}, Andréa L Benedet^{3

13}, Pedro Rosa-Neto^{4

5}, Nicholas J Ashton^{3

13

14

15}, Tharick A Pascoal², Antoine Leuzy¹⁶, Eduardo R Zimmer^{1

4

17

18

19}

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
² Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience & Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
⁴ Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory, McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Douglas Research Institute, Le Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁵ Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
⁶ Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁷ Karolinska University Hospital, Theme Aging, Huddinge, Sweden.
⁸ Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁹ Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹⁰ Division of Neurosciences and Clinical Translation, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹² Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹³ Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
¹⁴ King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Institute Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom.
¹⁵ NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, United Kingdom.
¹⁶ Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
¹⁷ Department of Pharmacology, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
¹⁸ Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Pharmacology and Therapeutics, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
¹⁹ Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Abstract

Background: Alterations in the endocannabinoid system (ES) have been described in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology. In the past years, multiple ES biomarkers have been developed, promising to advance our understanding of ES changes in AD. Discussion: ES biomarkers, including positron emission tomography with cannabinoid receptors tracers and biofluid-based endocannabinoids, are associated with AD disease progression and pathological features. Conclusion: Although not specific enough for AD diagnosis, ES biomarkers hold promise for prognosis, drug-target engagement, and a better understanding of the disease. Here, we summarize currently available ES biomarker findings and discuss their potential applications in the AD research field.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; biomarkers; dementia; endocannabinoid.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alzheimer Disease* / diagnosis
Alzheimer Disease* / pathology
Biomarkers
Disease Progression
Endocannabinoids
Humans
Positron-Emission Tomography
Receptors, Cannabinoid

Substances

Endocannabinoids
Receptors, Cannabinoid
Biomarkers

Grants and funding

R01 AG073267/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States