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Review
. 2019 Nov 23;20(23):5875.
doi: 10.3390/ijms20235875.

The Endocannabinoid System in Pediatric Inflammatory and Immune Diseases

Maura Argenziano  1 , Chiara Tortora  2 , Giulia Bellini  1 , Alessandra Di Paola  1 , Francesca Punzo  1 , Francesca Rossi  2
Affiliations
Review

The Endocannabinoid System in Pediatric Inflammatory and Immune Diseases

Maura Argenziano et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Endocannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptors, their endogenous ligands, and the enzymes responsible for their synthesis and degradation. CB2, to a great extent, and CB1, to a lesser extent, are involved in regulating the immune response. They also regulate the inflammatory processes by inhibiting pro-inflammatory mediator release and immune cell proliferation. This review provides an overview on the role of the endocannabinoid system with a major focus on cannabinoid receptors in the pathogenesis and onset of inflammatory and autoimmune pediatric diseases, such as immune thrombocytopenia, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, obesity, neuroinflammatory diseases, and type 1 diabetes mellitus. These disorders have a high social impact and represent a burden for the healthcare system, hence the importance of individuating more innovative and effective treatments. The endocannabinoid system could address this need, representing a possible new diagnostic marker and therapeutic target.

Keywords: CB1 receptor; CB2 receptor; endocannabinoid system; immune regulation; inflammation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Role of Cannabinoid Receptor 2 (CB2) in inflammation and the immune response. The stimulation of CB2 by its selective agonists inhibits cytokines’ production and reduces antigen presentation, modulating both inflammation and the immune response. CNR2 Q63R is a very common CB2 variant that compromises CB2 immunomodulatory properties, predisposing the individual to autoimmune disorders.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Role of Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CB1) in Neuroinflammatory Diseases. During the inflammatory process, microglia cells overexpress CB1 and are responsible for the release of cytokines and toxic mediators. CB1 stimulation by its selective agonists has a protective role in neurons, counteracting neuroinflammation and its associated diseases.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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