Joint problems arising from lack of repair mechanisms: can cannabinoids help?

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common disease of joints, which are complex organs where cartilage, bone and synovium cooperate to allow a range of movements. During progression of the disease, the function of all three main components is jeopardized. Nevertheless, the involvement of each tissue in OA development is still not established and is the topic of the present review. The OA therapies available are symptomatic, largely targeting pain management rather than disease progression. The strong need to develop a treatment for cartilage degeneration, bone deformation and synovial inflammation has led to research on the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the development of OA. The current review discusses the research on this topic to date and notes the advantages of exploiting endocannabinoid system modulation for cartilage, bone and synovium homeostasis, which could prevent the further progression of OA.

Dietary Supplementation with Palmitoyl-Glucosamine Co-Micronized with Curcumin Relieves Osteoarthritis Pain and Benefits Joint Mobility

“…Most notably, PGA—especially in the micronized form—not only relieves inflammation and pain [ 23 , 30 , 33 ], but also exerts an entourage effect on endocannabinoids and related ALIAmides (e.g., PEA), as suggested by some preliminary observations [ 62 ]. The endocannabinoid system is now emerging as a pivotal player in joint functioning and its alterations contribute to OA pathology [ 48 , 63 , 64 ]. In the knee of MIA-injected animals, a tremendous increase of cannabinoid receptors (e.g., CB1 and CB2) and endocannabinoid-degrading enzymes (amide hydrolases) was recently found [ 56 ].…”

“…The issue has been extensively reviewed in [ 70 ]. Activation of the endocannabinoid system is thus currently viewed as a novel strategy to reduce OA symptoms and correspondingly increase quality of life [ 63 ]. In this framework, the entourage effect of PGA on endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-related compounds [ 62 ] might well explain the results obtained in the present study.…”

Understanding Cannabis-Based Therapeutics in Sports Medicine

“…Recent investigations into the ECS have acknowledged its role as an important mediator of disease progression; both CB 1 and CB 2 receptors are expressed in cartilage, bone, and synovial tissue, with cannabinoids modulating inflammation and reducing joint damage, suggesting a chondroprotective effect on joints. 27 Modifications in ECS activity have been observed in preclinical and clinical investigations during osteoarthritic pain states with an increase of 2-AG and upregulation of CB 1 and CB 2 receptors on plasma lymphocytes of patients suffering from osteoarthritis in comparison with healthy participants. 21…”

Nanoliposomes from Agro-Resources as Promising Delivery Systems for Chondrocytes

“…Articular cartilage is an avascular and aneuronal connective tissue nourished by the imbibition from synovial fluid or the blood supplied to the subchondral bone which immediately abuts the cartilage of the joint. Articular cartilage is responsible for distributing the mechanical load and providing the articular joints with a wear resistant surface [1,2]. Biomechanical properties of cartilage are supported by specialized extracellular matrix (ECM).…”