Endogenous and Synthetic Cannabinoids as Therapeutics in Retinal Disease

The functional significance of cannabinoids in ocular physiology and disease has been reported some decades ago. In the early 1970s, subjects who smoked Cannabis sativa developed lower intraocular pressure (IOP). This led to the isolation of phytocannabinoids from this plant and the study of their t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Despina Kokona, Panagiota-Christina Georgiou, Mihalis Kounenidakis, Foteini Kiagiadaki, Kyriaki Thermos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8373020
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850229637650579456
author Despina Kokona
Panagiota-Christina Georgiou
Mihalis Kounenidakis
Foteini Kiagiadaki
Kyriaki Thermos
author_facet Despina Kokona
Panagiota-Christina Georgiou
Mihalis Kounenidakis
Foteini Kiagiadaki
Kyriaki Thermos
author_sort Despina Kokona
collection DOAJ
description The functional significance of cannabinoids in ocular physiology and disease has been reported some decades ago. In the early 1970s, subjects who smoked Cannabis sativa developed lower intraocular pressure (IOP). This led to the isolation of phytocannabinoids from this plant and the study of their therapeutic effects in glaucoma. The main treatment of this disease to date involves the administration of drugs mediating either the decrease of aqueous humour synthesis or the increase of its outflow and thus reduces IOP. However, the reduction of IOP is not sufficient to prevent visual field loss. Retinal diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, have been defined as neurodegenerative diseases and characterized by ischemia-induced excitotoxicity and loss of retinal neurons. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies must be applied in order to target retinal cell death, reduction of visual acuity, and blindness. The aim of the present review is to address the neuroprotective and therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in retinal disease.
format Article
id doaj-art-2a9e5ac9a013419f9c8baef3bae0677f
institution OA Journals
issn 2090-5904
1687-5443
language English
publishDate 2016-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Neural Plasticity
spelling doaj-art-2a9e5ac9a013419f9c8baef3bae0677f2025-08-20T02:04:09ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432016-01-01201610.1155/2016/83730208373020Endogenous and Synthetic Cannabinoids as Therapeutics in Retinal DiseaseDespina Kokona0Panagiota-Christina Georgiou1Mihalis Kounenidakis2Foteini Kiagiadaki3Kyriaki Thermos4University of Crete, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Heraklion, 71003 Crete, GreeceUniversity of Crete, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Heraklion, 71003 Crete, GreeceUniversity of Crete, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Heraklion, 71003 Crete, GreeceUniversity of Crete, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Heraklion, 71003 Crete, GreeceUniversity of Crete, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Heraklion, 71003 Crete, GreeceThe functional significance of cannabinoids in ocular physiology and disease has been reported some decades ago. In the early 1970s, subjects who smoked Cannabis sativa developed lower intraocular pressure (IOP). This led to the isolation of phytocannabinoids from this plant and the study of their therapeutic effects in glaucoma. The main treatment of this disease to date involves the administration of drugs mediating either the decrease of aqueous humour synthesis or the increase of its outflow and thus reduces IOP. However, the reduction of IOP is not sufficient to prevent visual field loss. Retinal diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, have been defined as neurodegenerative diseases and characterized by ischemia-induced excitotoxicity and loss of retinal neurons. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies must be applied in order to target retinal cell death, reduction of visual acuity, and blindness. The aim of the present review is to address the neuroprotective and therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in retinal disease.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8373020
spellingShingle Despina Kokona
Panagiota-Christina Georgiou
Mihalis Kounenidakis
Foteini Kiagiadaki
Kyriaki Thermos
Endogenous and Synthetic Cannabinoids as Therapeutics in Retinal Disease
Neural Plasticity
title Endogenous and Synthetic Cannabinoids as Therapeutics in Retinal Disease
title_full Endogenous and Synthetic Cannabinoids as Therapeutics in Retinal Disease
title_fullStr Endogenous and Synthetic Cannabinoids as Therapeutics in Retinal Disease
title_full_unstemmed Endogenous and Synthetic Cannabinoids as Therapeutics in Retinal Disease
title_short Endogenous and Synthetic Cannabinoids as Therapeutics in Retinal Disease
title_sort endogenous and synthetic cannabinoids as therapeutics in retinal disease
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8373020
work_keys_str_mv AT despinakokona endogenousandsyntheticcannabinoidsastherapeuticsinretinaldisease
AT panagiotachristinageorgiou endogenousandsyntheticcannabinoidsastherapeuticsinretinaldisease
AT mihaliskounenidakis endogenousandsyntheticcannabinoidsastherapeuticsinretinaldisease
AT foteinikiagiadaki endogenousandsyntheticcannabinoidsastherapeuticsinretinaldisease
AT kyriakithermos endogenousandsyntheticcannabinoidsastherapeuticsinretinaldisease