A recent study looks at the potential benefits of Cannabidiol for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study looks at the immunomodulatory potential for such treatments. A salient takeaway from the meta-analysis is that CBD treatments were consistently effective for reducing the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). More specifically, CBD treatment was found to contribute to a delayed onset of symptoms, attenuation of clinical signs, and reduced disease progression. Moreover, a number of studies that were evaluated in the meta-analysis demonstrated that CBD treatment led to improved CNS histology, reduced neuroinflammation, microglia activation, peripheral monocyte and lymphocyte infiltration, and decreased demyelination. Technical jargon aside, this is good news for those suffering from MS and its debilitating symptoms.
In total, the meta-analysis assessed 1,808 reports and 29 studies — 26 of which were included in the final review. One such study that was considered found that CBD was comparable to a drug (glatiramer) commonly used to treat MS, insofar as the two treatments demonstrated similar efficacy in reducing EAE. CBD was consistently shown to reduce inflammation in patients. A particular point of interest for future studies is to investigate the issue of target receptors that may be correlated with the effects of CBD.