Objective of the proposed research
The major questions are: Is CBD genotoxic and what are the mechanisms of its activity? Does the genotoxic activity differ between synthetic and naturally produced CBD isolated from hemp? Is the genotoxic activity expressed also in the complex high CBD content extracts used in the supplements? Is metabolic transformation of CBD involved in its genotoxic activity? What kind of CBD containing products the consumers are using, for what purposes an how much?
Thus, the aim of the proposed research is to explore the potential genotoxic activity of CBDs and unravel the underlying mechanisms of action that will enable better understanding of their possible health risks in humans and to evaluate potential exposure of different groups of consumers. This will be achieved by four interlinked objectives:
- To determine toxic and genotoxic activity of synthetic CBD, CBD of natural origin and high CBD content cannabis extracts;
- To identify the CBD metabolites in HepG2 cells in vitro and to elucidate their role in genotoxicity induced by CBD;
- To perform the toxicogenomic analyses by gene expression profiling that will enable the identification of pathways affected by CBDs;
- To perform a public survey on the perception of consumers toward the use of CBD containing products and assess the extent of the use of CBD containing products.
We anticipate that the obtained results will contribute substantially to the data needed for the evaluation of the safety of CBD containing products and their authorization as well as further development in the field of hemp exploitation for medical and nutritional purposes.
