Low-dose THC may reduce breast cancer cell aggressiveness, study finds

Researchers have discovered that ultra-low doses of THC may prevent breast cancer cells from reverting to an aggressive, stem-cell-like state. Rather than attempting to destroy tumor cells, which can sometimes trigger increased plasticity and resistance, this approach aims to keep cells in a more mature, less harmful state.

In studies using human breast cancer organoids and mouse models, exposure to low-dose THC for four days resulted in cells that were less invasive, showed reduced self-renewal, and were less capable of forming new tumors. Notably, the effect appeared to persist for up to 100 days after the THC was removed.

The study, published in Communications Biology, indicates that the effect is primarily driven by the CB2R receptor, which is linked to inflammatory responses, rather than the CB1R receptor associated with psychoactive effects. In mouse experiments, treated cells formed fewer cancer-cell clusters in the lungs, suggesting the treatment could potentially limit the spread of the disease.