By Sally Robertson, B.Sc. Mar 14 2021
Marsha Rosner from the University of Chicago in Illinois and colleagues found that cannabidiol (CBD) and its metabolite 7-OH-CBD potently blocked SARS-CoV-2 replication in lung epithelial cells. The CBD inhibited viral gene expression and reversed many of the effects the virus has on host gene transcription. The compound also induced the expression of interferons – cell signaling proteins that are produced by host cells as an early response to viral invasion. Furthermore, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was up to an order of magnitude lower in a cohort of patients who had been taking CBD, compared with matched patients who had not been taking CBD.
“This study highlights CBD, and its active metabolite, 7-OH-CBD, as potential preventative agents and therapeutic treatments for SARS-CoV-2 at early stages of infection,” says Rosner and the team.