Citation

Battista N, Di Tommaso M, Bari M, Maccarrone M. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 2012; (MARCH 2012): 1-7.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Frontiers Research Foundation)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Upon the identification of anandamide (AEA) in the porcine brain, numerous studies contributed to the current state of knowledge regarding all elements that form the endocannabinoid system (ECS). How this complex system of receptors, ligands, and enzymes is integrated in helping to regulate fundamental processes at level of central nervous and peripheral systems and how its regulation and dysregulation might counteract disturbances of such functions, is nowadays still under investigation. However, the most recent advances on the physiological distribution and functional role of ECS allowed the progress of various research tools aimed at the therapeutic exploitation of endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling, as well as the development of novel drugs with pharmacological advantages. Here, we shall briefly overview the metabolic and signal transduction pathways of the main eCBs representatives, AEA, and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and we will discuss the therapeutic potential of new ECS-oriented drugs.

Language: en

Keywords

human; suicide; depression; anxiety; inflammation; pain; obesity; article; eating disorder; lipid metabolism; brain infarction; unclassified drug; anxiety disorder; drug mechanism; drug structure; Signal transduction; nonhuman; cannabis addiction; drug research; drug effect; neurologic disease; side effect; encephalitis; infertility; neuropathic pain; brain ischemia; brain damage; cannabinoid 1 receptor; cannabinoid 2 receptor; endocannabinoid; Endocannabinoids; tetrahydrocannabinol; hyperalgesia; neuroprotection; drug targeting; osteoarthritis; lipid analysis; receptor blocking; pharmacological stimulation; rimonabant; anandamide; cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3' carbamoylbiphenyl 3 yl ester; 2 arachidonoylglycerol; neuromodulation; cannabinoid 2 receptor agonist; hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy; 2-arachidonoylglycerol; 2,3 dihydro 5 methyl 3 (morpholinomethyl) 6 (1 naphthoyl)pyrrolo[1,2,3 de][1,4]benzoxazine; 3 (2 iodo 5 nitrobenzoyl) 1 (1 methyl 2 piperidinylmethyl)indole; 4 [4 (1,1 dimethylheptyl) 2,6 dimethoxyphenyl] 6,6 dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept 2 en 2 ylmethanol; Anandamide; fatty acid amidase; fatty acid amidase inhibitor; gsk 554418a; gw 842166; intracellular signaling; Metabolic pathways; o 1966; o 3853; pf 04457845; v 158866