Title: Anti-inflammatory Effects of Cannabidiol and Its Potential Biomedical Applications
Speaker: Hang Ma, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Associate Director of the Bioactive Botanical Research Laboratory, and the Head of the Research Unit for Nutraceutical and Cosmeceutical Applications (RUNCA), University of Rhode Island.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychedelic phytocannabinoid derived from cannabis, known for its promising biological activities. Our research group has initiated a systematic evaluation of CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects through a combination of cellular assays, biophysical tools, and computational methods. We investigated CBD’s inhibitory effects on the activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in human monocytes and explored its underlying mechanisms of action. Furthermore, we assessed CBD’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in human skin keratinocytes by examining its modulation of the caspase-1–IL-1β axis. In addition, we identified potential molecular targets involved in CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential development of CBD as an active ingredient for various biomedical applications.
