Regulation of MMP-9 by a WIN-binding site in the monocyte-macrophage system independent from cannabinoid receptors.

The cannabinoid system is known to be involved in the regulation of inflammatory processes. Therefore, drugs targeting cannabinoid receptors are considered as candidates for anti-inflammatory and tissue protective therapy. We demonstrated that the prototypical cannabinoid agonist R(+)WIN55,212-2 (WIN) reduced the secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in a murine model of cigarette-smoke induced lung inflammation.

Melanoma stem cells: targets for successful therapy?

Increasing evidence suggests that cancer is a disease in which the persistence of the tumor relies on a small population of tumor-initiating cells, the so called tumor stem cells (TSC). Only these cells are capable of self-renewal and thereby possess the ability for unlimited proliferation. One reason for the inability of conventional tumor treatments to achieve long-term cures seems to be that TSC are resistant to many therapeutic approaches.