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Diabetes Eye Health improved with a Marijuana compound that Helps Stops Diabetic Retinopathy and Blindness

February 27th, 2006

Diabetes Eye Health improved with a Marijuana compound that Helps Stops Diabetic Retinopathy and Blindness

Eye that is damaged by diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic patients are often threatened with damage to eyes and blindness. Researchers believe that cannabidiol, a compound that comes from Marijuana plants may help to stop the damaging retinopathy by slowing the growth of leaky blood vessels. The cannabidiol compound does not get a person intoxicated but in the future may be able to help over 16 million Americans that have Diabetic retinopathy from becoming blind.

Dr. Gregory I. Liou who is a molecular biologist at the Medical College of Georgia and fellow researchers has received a $300,000 grant from the American Diabetes Association hope to help treat diabetic retinopathy. "We are studying the role of cannabinoid receptors in our body and trying to modulate them so we can defend against diabetic retinopathy," Dr. Liou said.

When a person has high glucose levels it causes the retina of the eye to become oxygen-deprived. This lack of oxygen makes the retina grow more blood vessels to compensate. Because of the extra vessels there is leaking that can lead to damaged vision or blindness.

Cannabidiol is an antioxidant that might be able to keep the retina healthy. The researchers have published studies in the January issue of the American Journal of Pathology with animals that showed some promise. Cannabidiol helps to disrupt the destructive process from occurring.

"Cannabinoids are trying to ease the situation on both sides. They help save the neuron and, at the same time, make sure the microglial cells stay in microglial form. How good do you want a drug to be?" Dr. Liou said.

Dr Liou hopes that one day the cannabidiol compound would be included with the insulin injections to help diabetic patient’s health.