Cannabis Sequencing and New Cancer Research

In 2014, the entire genome of Cannabis stavia L. was sequenced. This news received national attention with eye-catching headlines such as: “Marijuana Genome Sequenced for Health, Not Highs”. Researchers and oncologists took note, not due to the attention-grabbing headlines, but because their focus was to pair the decoded cannabis genome research with sequencing of the DNA of cancer tumors for new research on cannabis and cancer. The news was a celebration of the completion of a key component for those striving to research the affects of using cannabis for cancer patient treatment.

The Focus for CBD Research
Having sequenced Cannabis stavia L., it has enabled researchers to study cannabis without actually having to use the real cannabis plants, which are currently classified as Schedule I drugs in the United States. Through bioinformatics, researchers can study cannabis’s genome and explore potentially novel treatment options.

Before the cannabis genome was sequenced, there were only about 12 cannabis genes known. Now, tens of thousands are known. Because each cannabis strain has its own makeup, it is believed to have more than 131 billion bases of sequence.

Spanish scientist Manuel Guzman’s research documented how cannabinoids (CBD), some of the biologically active compounds in cannabis, have a favorable therapeutic index in cancerous cell cultures and animal models. Due to these new research options and fueled by Guzman’s findings, researchers continue to work on sequencing cannabis, some with a specific focus on CBD.

Strains of Cannabis With High CBD Levels
Cannabis is a multi-purpose plant that produces fiber, edible seed, oil and numerous cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, CBN. It is also unique in that no other plants are known to have the ability to produce cannabinoids.

Researchers have found the main difference between the potency and medical benefits of the cannabinoids found in cannabis can be attributed to a single, genetically encoded enzyme. Plants that produce high levels of THC contain genes that code for hyperactive versions of the enzyme, while plants that code for the enzyme on the other end of the spectrum produce more CBD.

Clinical Trials for CBD Cancer Research
Novel and unique combinations of cannabinoids that have a specific effect on cancer cells as well as unique pharmacokinetic differences that enhance the performance of cannabinoids in the body are being studied.

Researchers continue to investigate the therapeutic potential and applications of cannabinoids for cancer for both orphan and non-orphan indications through clinical trials.

To learn more about CBD cancer research, visit clinicaltrials.gov.

About Diverse Biotech, Inc.
Diverse Biotech Inc. is an innovative, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical research company, committed to discovering and developing novel therapeutics from its proprietary cannabinoid product platform.

For more information on Diverse Biotech or its Cannabinoid (CBD) clinical trials, use in the treatment of specific types of malignancies related to glioblastoma, myeloma, gastrointestinal, and breast cancer, when administered in conjunction with Standard of Care, please contact Diverse Biotech by clicking here or visit the company’s headquarters at 805 S. Kirkman Rd, Suite 202, Orlando, Florida 32811.