Cannabidiol, or CBD, has received significant attention due to clinical research findings that it may treat certain types of Cancer.  Other research has shown CBD to be an effective cancer therapy treatment, with benefits such as anti-nausea, increase of appetite and pain management.  One of the most potent chemotherapies used to treat cancer, Cisplatin, can cause significant stress to the body; one of these side effects is nephrotoxicity, which negatively effects the renal function of kidneys. Nephrotoxicity can be so severe, from the cisplatin, that it is limited in clinical use.

To find a way to counteract the nephrotoxicity caused by cisplatin, with hopes of making it more available to patients in need, researchers at Zhejiang University, in China, studied the effects of cannabidiol when combined with cisplatin.  Mice treated with cisplatin showed inflammation of the kidneys and impaired renal function (among other side-effects) after only 72 hours.  Cisplatin-treated mice, that were administered CBD, reported reduced oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammation and cell death within the kidney, as well as, improved renal function.  The researchers concluded that cannabidiol may offer a protective strategy against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

By using its ability to regulate the bodies’ endocannabinoid system, CBD has shown to not only protect against cancer, but also able to treat the side effects induced from cancer treatments, such as the case above, where CBD protected kidneys from nephrotoxicity during chemotherapy.

To read more about the study mentioned above, please click here.