Marijuana Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Marijuana, including details on benefits, cancer, effects, uses, addiction.

Antibody-catalyzed oxidation of delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol.

Brogan AP, Eubanks LM, Koob GF, Dickerson TJ, Janda KD

Department of Chemistry, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute for Research and Medicine, and the Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.

Marijuana abuse continues to plague society and the lack of effective treatments warrants concern. Catalytic antibodies capable of oxidatively degrading the major psychoactive component of marijuana, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC), are presented. The antibodies generate reactive oxygen species from singlet oxygen (1O2*), using riboflavin (vitamin B2) and visible light as the 1O2* source. Cannabitriol was identified as the major degradation product of this reaction, demonstrating the ability of an antibody to catalyze a complex chemical transformation with therapeutic implications for treating marijuana abuse.

Published 21 March 2007 in J Am Chem Soc, 129(12): 3698-702.
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