Publication from: Jesrusalem Post 11 August 2020,
An Israeli study found the effectiveness of cannabis terpenes in treating COVID-19
Initial research by Israeli cannabis research and development companies Eybna and CannaSoul concerns the effectiveness of cannabis terpenes in treating COVID-19 infections.
Author: ZACHARY KEYSER
Published: AUGUST 11, 2020 11:01 AM
Preliminary results from an Israeli in vivo study testing the benefits of cannabis terpenes in treating inflammatory infections such as COVID-19 are quite promising.
Initial research by Israeli cannabis research and development companies Eybna and CannaSoul focuses on examining the effectiveness of using a unique cannabis terpenes formula – NT-VRL – to treat inflammatory conditions such as cytokine storm syndrome, which often occurs in serious cases of COVID -19.
A cytokine storm occurs when the body overproduces immune cells and their activating compounds (cytokines), causing dangerously high blood pressure, lung damage, respiratory distress syndrome, and organ failure. This is common in some patients where the immune system’s response to COVID-19 is extreme and goes into excess activity to fight the virus. Accumulating evidence shows that many COVID-19 patients die from increased production of inflammatory cytokine molecules rather than the virus itself.
“Initial results have been very positive. By showing significant anti-inflammatory activity of terpenes and breaking the belief that terpenes are just aromas and fragrances with a placebo effect, ”said Eybna Co-Founder and CEO Nadav Eyal.
“Utilizing Eybna’s proprietary technology for biological data mining, data processing, and recipe design has allowed us to develop our data-driven NT-VRL formula, effectively targeting specific health conditions,” he added. “This opens up a new world of synergistically effective natural formulas – with therapeutic potential where individual pharmaceutical active ingredients will have a hard time catching up.”
Back in April, two R&D organizations announced their intention to collaborate on research and delving into the use of the inhalable NT-VRL compound for the treatment of viral infections.
Their hypothesis was based on previous studies conducted in connection with the SARS epidemic in 2002 which showed that terpenes are effective antiviral agents, and in particular that certain terpene formulas reduce the severity of respiratory disease.
The results of the study, published in the medical journal Health Europa, showed that using NT-VRL in combination with cannabidiol (CBD) is “twice” more effective in treating a cytokine storm compared to using CBD alone, and the same is true for its commonly used treatment inflammation of the dexamethasone corticosteroid.
For the study, scientists used human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from healthy subjects and induced inflammation surrounding the cytokine storm – performing cytotoxicity tests both before and after the experiment to ensure accuracy and effectiveness.
To indicate an effective therapy, analysts confronted Eybn’s patented NT-VRL terpene formula with CBD and dexamethasone, testing these compounds both individually and in combination – and as mentioned, a mixture of NT-VRL and CBD proved to be the most effective inflammatory therapy option.
The “cytokine storm” test is a well established preclinical in-vitro, or virtually ex-vivo, test. It enables the assessment of cytokine storm syndrome using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Eybna NT-VRL terpene preparation on the secretion of cytokines, ”said the president and CSO of CannaSoul, Prof. Dedi Meiri. “The terpene formulation of NT-VRL showed a significant anti-inflammatory effect that contributed to a functional immune response in vitro.”
