THC or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main psychoactive substance that we can find in the cannabis plant, responsible for the effects of this drug on our brain. However, the specific mechanism by which this alteration of the mind occurs are not entirely clear.
Now a team of researchers from the University of Southern California and the National Institute on Drug Abuse has reconstructed the clearest picture to date of how THC binds to a specific cannabinoid receptor in the brain. to produce the association with marijuana use. The key specific receptor is CB1 (cannabinoid receptor type 1), which is present on the surface of many nerve cells in the brain.
The CB1 receptor is the main target of THC and synthetic cannabinoids, so the research team focused on learning more about the structure of this receptor and how it works with specific molecules. The scientists synthesized the AM6538 molecule and applied it to the CB1 receptors, which allowed them to determine the structure of the receptor – a map of the molecular structure of the “marijuana receptor.”
By creating a 3D model of the CB1 receptor, the team was able to gain a more detailed understanding of how THC and synthetic cannabinoids work with the receptor to produce their mind-altering effects. Thus, THC binds to CB1 receptors to produce its effects.
” Now that we finally have the structure of CB1, we can begin to understand how these changes in the structure of drugs can affect the receptor, ” explains Raymond Stevens, leader of the work.
The researchers say their discovery could improve the development of new drugs derived from marijuana, as well as help better understand the risks of its use.
The study has been published in the journal Cell.
