Does THC enable as well as block activation of Kaposi’s sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV)? (causes cancer)

[Flabbergasted]

The bolded paragraph (first article) states there are: "previous studies indicating that marijuana smoking was associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma..."

What they fail to say is these previous studies don't support their study. Not very honest.

There also exists evidence that THC works on reducing Lung and Brain Tumors.

"Study: Marijuana Use May Cause Skin Cancer"
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Fox News

The active component of marijuana may enhance the virus that causes a rare type of skin cancer, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School.

Researchers said low-doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the component in marijuana that produces the “high” users experience, enhances the ability of the skin cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma, to infect cells and multiply.

While most people are not at risk of developing the Kaposi’s sarcoma herpes virus, AIDS patients and transplant recipients are at an increased risk of developing the disease.

The findings, reported in the August 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, offer cautionary evidence that those with weakened immune systems should speak with their doctors before using marijuana medicinally or recreationally.

For the study, researchers examined a culture of human skin cells, which are susceptible to infection and could provide a model of Kaposi’s sarcoma.

While previous studies indicated that marijuana smoking was associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma, this study demonstrate that THC itself can assist the virus in entering endothelial cells, which comprise skin and related tissue, the researchers said.

“These findings raise some serious questions about using marijuana, in any form, if you have a weakened immune system,” said lead study author Jerome E. Groopman, M.D., professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, in a news release.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,291735,00.html

Marijuana May Yield Cancer-Fighting Drugs

Pot's Active Ingredient Shows Promise in Lab Tests By Miranda Hitti

WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
on Tuesday, September 14, 2004


Sept. 14, 2004 -- Marijuana's active ingredient may form the basis for new antiviral drugs that fight cancer-causing herpes viruses.

Professor Peter Medveczky, MD, of the University of South Florida's medical microbiology and immunology department, and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, and colleagues worked on the study.

Their report appears in the Sept. 15 issue of the journal BMC Medicine.

Key Ingredient

The researchers focused on marijuana's active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannibol (THC).

In tissue culture tests, THC blocked the reactivation of various types of herpes viruses. Infection with herpes virus is recurrent and lifelong. The virus lies dormant in nerve tissue in infected people after symptoms have gone away. Later the virus can reactivate itself leading to an increasing number of viruses and causing another symptomatic infection.

In the study, researchers tested THC against various herpes viruses including Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) and Epstein-Barr virus.

snip

In the presence of THC, cells infected with the viruses couldn't reactivate.

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/94/102650.htm

[Festivito]

1. There is an effort afoot to psych Americans to be against legal pot.

The drug trade makes the CIA, Mil-Ind-CON-Media-Internet-Complex a lot of money, along with the prison industry.

They seem to be managing perception.

I'd question the accuracy of the FOX article even further. They'd stop at nothing.

[DeSwiss]

2. Since I can remember....

...studies have been done in an attempt to undermine the legitimate use of marijuana as a palliative and adjunct to aiding those undergoing chemo and radiation therapies.

No matter what they do, they'll never find that it is any more harmful than cigarettes. Even less so. Its all bullshit and until there is a massive change in the politics of the fictional WAR ON DRUGS, this kind of pap will continue to receive funding. As far as I'm concerned, such so-called "scientific research" and those who conduct it are a travesty and a traitor to the scientific method. I put them in the same category as Creationists.

[Flabbergasted]

3. Seems so... nt