Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Aug 17;16(8):1081.
doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16081081.

Cannabinoids in Integumentary Wound Care: A Systematic Review of Emerging Preclinical and Clinical Evidence

Dhakshila Niyangoda  1   2 , Mohammed Muayad  1 , Wubshet Tesfaye  3 , Mary Bushell  1 , Danish Ahmad  4 , Indira Samarawickrema  5 , Justin Sinclair  6   7 , Shida Kebriti  8 , Vincent Maida  9   10 , Jackson Thomas  1
Affiliations
Review

Cannabinoids in Integumentary Wound Care: A Systematic Review of Emerging Preclinical and Clinical Evidence

Dhakshila Niyangoda et al. Pharmaceutics. .

Abstract

This systematic review critically evaluates preclinical and clinical data on the antibacterial and wound healing properties of cannabinoids in integument wounds. Comprehensive searches were conducted across multiple databases, including CINAHL, Cochrane library, Medline, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and LILACS, encompassing records up to May 22, 2024. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Eleven were animal studies, predominantly utilizing murine models (n = 10) and one equine model, involving 437 animals. The seven human studies ranged from case reports to randomized controlled trials, encompassing 92 participants aged six months to ninety years, with sample sizes varying from 1 to 69 patients. The studies examined the effects of various cannabinoid formulations, including combinations with other plant extracts, crude extracts, and purified and synthetic cannabis-based medications administered topically, intraperitoneally, orally, or sublingually. Four animal and three human studies reported complete wound closure. Hemp fruit oil extract, cannabidiol (CBD), and GP1a resulted in complete wound closure in twenty-three (range: 5-84) days with a healing rate of 66-86% within ten days in animal studies. One human study documented a wound healing rate of 3.3 cm2 over 30 days, while three studies on chronic, non-healing wounds reported an average healing time of 54 (21-150) days for 17 patients by oral oils with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD and topical gels with THC, CBD, and terpenes. CBD and tetrahydrocannabidiol demonstrated significant potential in reducing bacterial loads in murine models. However, further high-quality research is imperative to fully elucidate the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in the treatment of bacterial skin infections and wounds. Additionally, it is crucial to delineate the impact of medicinal cannabis on the various phases of wound healing. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021255413).

Keywords: antibacterial; antimicrobial resistance; cannabinoids; medicinal cannabis; wound healing.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Justin Sinclair (J.S.) is a recipient of the Western Sydney University Post-graduate research scholarship and is employed by the Australian Natural Therapeutics Group. J.S. also sits on the board of the Australian Medicinal Cannabis Association, and the advisory boards of Cannabis Clinicians Australia and United in Compassion, all in a pro bono capacity. Vincent Maida (V.M.) is the Chief Medical Scientist for Kensana Health Inc. He has developed cannabinoid-based treatments for integumentary and wound management. Indira Samarawickrema (I.M.) is the Director of Strategy Coaching and Research Consulting Pty Ltd. Shida Kebriti (S.K.) is the manager of Eczane Pharmaceuticals, a company with a focus on skincare products. While there is no direct or explicit conflict of interest related to this publication, this affiliation may be seen as a potential perceived conflict of interest. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study selection flow diagram.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Different types of medicinal cannabis formulations tested in animal and human studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Theoret C. Physiology of Wound Healing. In: Theoret C., Schumacher J., editors. Equine Wound Management. 3rd ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Hoboken, NJ, USA: 2016. pp. 1–13.
    1. Singh S., Young A., McNaught C.-E. The physiology of wound healing. Surgery. 2017;35:473–477. doi: 10.1016/j.mpsur.2017.06.004. - DOI
    1. Landén N.X., Li D., Ståhle M. Transition from inflammation to proliferation: A critical step during wound healing. Cell Mol. Life Sci. 2016;73:3861–3885. doi: 10.1007/s00018-016-2268-0. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Martinengo L., Olsson M., Bajpai R., Soljak M., Upton Z., Schmidtchen A., Car J., Järbrink K. Prevalence of chronic wounds in the general population: Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Ann. Epidemiol. 2019;29:8–15. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2018.10.005. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sen C.K. Human Wound and Its Burden: Updated 2020 Compendium of Estimates. Adv. Wound Care. 2021;10:281–292. doi: 10.1089/wound.2021.0026. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources