Appraising the Entourage Effect

David (Dedi) Meiri, Biology Faculty, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haife, Israel (dedimeiri1@gmail.com) 

In the course of the past 20 years, the interest into the therapeutic benefits of medical Cannabis has been rapidly growing all around the world. Many countries now allow or are considering allowing, the medical use of Cannabis or cannabinoids in some form. 

Cannabis is a complex plant composed of several hundred compounds of various chemical classes and wide concentrations. These are biosynthesized as secondary metabolites mainly in glandular trichomes which are abundant on the surface of the female inflorescence. An increasing body of evidence over the last decade has shed light on the therapeutic potential of many of these metabolites, mainly phytocannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids. More recent studies suggest also of synergistic effects between the different compounds which boost therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of many physiological and pathological conditions, a phenomenon known as “The Entourage Effect”. As a result, the interest into the therapeutic benefits of medical Cannabis has been rapidly growing all around the world, and many countries now allow or are considering allowing the medical use of Cannabis or cannabinoids in some form. Nonetheless, there is still a large gap in the current knowledge as to the mechanisms of action of these secondary metabolites that needs to be filled, before distinct Cannabis chemovars could be safely and beneficially applied for the treatment of specific conditions. 

Therefore, in the Cancer Biology and Cannabinoid Research Laboratory in the Technion, we aim to determine the therapeutic effects of Cannabis specific compounds, and to elucidate their mechanisms of action in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, the immune system, pain, sleep and more. In order to characterize the Cannabis extracts used in our research, we have established an array of analytical chemistry methods for comprehensive identification, extraction, isolation and quantification of whole metabolites in Cannabis. One of the major questions that we are trying to answer using all the developed tools, is do we actually need all the different compounds in one specific extract, or whether a small number of specific compounds exists which exhibit the same therapeutic effects as the whole plant.

---

Abstract Reference & Short Personal Biography of Presenting Author

David (Dedi) Meiri, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Biology at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology and a member of the Technion Integrated Cancer Center (TICC). Dr. Meiri's scientific background is highly diverse. He holds a M.Sc. in biochemistry and a Ph.D. in plant biotechnology from Tel Aviv University. Dr. Meiri conducted his post-doctoral fellowship at the Ontario Cancer Institute where he focused on the role of the GEF-H1 protein in tumor invasion and metastasis. During his post-doctoral studies, he expanded his knowledge in human biology and cancer pathogenesis and succeeded within a very short time frame to receive worldwide recognition as an expert in the fields of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and small GTPases. Upon completion of his post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Meiri took a position at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, where he heads the "Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Cannabinoid Research".

Presently, his lab investigates the therapeutic potential of phytocannabinoids, the unique active compounds of the Cannabis sativa plant. On top of other research being conducted in the lab, the main focus of his research is to determine the antitumor effects of cannabinoids, including the anti-metastatic and pro-apoptotic effects of phytocannabinoids.

In addition to the laboratory cannabis research performed on-site, Dr. Meiri collaborates with cannabis growers, clinicians, major manufacturers and distributors of medical cannabis for the purpose of revolutionizing cannabis treatment. He is operating the "Cannabis Database Project" and his lab is currently involved in eight clinical trials covering diverse aspects of cannabis treatment such as colon disease, pain prevention, cancer treatment and epilepsy.

Dr. Meiri is also highly involved in governmental regulations and is a residing member in several Israeli Ministry of Health committees which seek to advance the fundamental understanding of optimal cannabis usage and minimization of adverse side effects.