Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the psychoactive substance that creates the “high” experienced by cannabis users — caused birth defects in laboratory mice in a recent study, piquing concerns over its possible effects on pregnant women and their babies.
Cannabis is the most common illicit drug consumed by pregnant women in countries where its use is restricted, according to The Company of Biologists, which publishes several scientific journals. Its increasing legalization is leading to increased use overall.
Until now, the effect of cannabis on embryonic development and the mutations it may cause, leading to defects or disease, have not been well understood, the publisher said.
“Several years ago, it was reported that THC could inhibit hedgehog signaling in cells grown in a dish,” said Robert Krauss of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. “We reasoned that THC might be an environmental risk factor for birth defects,” he said, “but that it would require additional risk factors, such as specific mutations in the genes required for hedgehog signaling, to induce these defects in mice.”
Hedgehog signaling is a pathway that allows various parts of an embryo to transmit information with signaling proteins to embryonic cells during prenatal development. It also plays a role in adults. Researchers have found that diseases associated with a hedgehog-signaling malfunction include cancer.
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Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the psychoactive substance that creates the “high” experienced by cannabis users — caused birth defects in laboratory mice in a recent study, piquing concerns over its possible effects on pregnant women and their babies.
Cannabis is the most common illicit drug consumed by pregnant women in countries where its use is restricted, according to The Company of Biologists, which publishes several scientific journals. Its increasing legalization is leading to increased use overall.
Until now, the effect of cannabis on embryonic development and the mutations it may cause, leading to defects or disease, have not been well understood, the publisher said.
“Several years ago, it was reported that THC could inhibit hedgehog signaling in cells grown in a dish,” said Robert Krauss of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. “We reasoned that THC might be an environmental risk factor for birth defects,” he said, “but that it would require additional risk factors, such as specific mutations in the genes required for hedgehog signaling, to induce these defects in mice.”
Hedgehog signaling is a pathway that allows various parts of an embryo to transmit information with signaling proteins to embryonic cells during prenatal development. It also plays a role in adults. Researchers have found that diseases associated with a hedgehog-signaling malfunction include cancer.
