Identification of fatty acid amide hydrolase as a metastasis suppressor in breast cancer

Cannabis and cancer: unveiling the potential of a green ally in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer

Cancer comes in second place on the list of causes of death worldwide. In 2018, the 5-year prevalence of breast cancer (BC), prostate cancer (PC), and colorectal cancer (CRC) were 30%, 12.3%, and 10.9%, respectively. Cannabinoids are chemicals derived from the Cannabis sativa plant; the most investigated cannabinoids are cannabinol, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), and cannabidiol. In humans, the endogenous endocannabinoid system consists of endocannabinoids, cannabinoids receptors (CBs), and enzymes that degrade the endocannabinoids. In this review, we will review the most recent literature for evidence that discusses the role of cannabis in the treatment of the three types of neoplasms mentioned. Studies have proved that BC cells express CB receptors; many in-vivo studies showed that cannabinoids cause apoptosis and inhibit proliferation and migration. Also, researchers found that treating BC mice with THC and JWH-133 (CB2 receptor agonist) slowed the tumor growth. Regarding CRC, cannabidiol was found to decrease the viability of chemotherapy-resistant CRC cells and inhibit metastasis by antagonizing the G-protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55; a novel cannabinoid receptor) necessary for metastasis. Moreover, cannabidiol had anti-angiogenetic effects by reducing the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in addition to anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, studies demonstrated that PC cells highly express CB1 and CB2 receptors and that cannabinoids are capable of inhibiting the release of exosomes and microvesicles related to cancer progression. Cannabinoids also have antiproliferative, anti-invasive, anti-fibroblastic, cell cycle arrest, and proapoptotic effects on PC cells.

A prognostic signature of fatty acid metabolism-related genes for predicting survival of gastric cancer patients

To analyze the expression profile of fatty acid metabolism (FAM)-related genes, identify a prognostic signature, and evaluate its clinical value for gastric cancer (GC) patients. The mRNA expression profiles of 493 FAM-related genes were obtained from TCGA database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between cancer and non-cancer samples were identified, and their relationships with overall survival (OS) of GC patients were evaluated. A prognostic signature of FAM-related genes was identified by the LASSO regression model, and its predictive performance was tested by an independent external cohort. Ninety-three DEGs were identified, of which 44 were downregulated and 49 were upregulated. After optimizing risk characteristics, a prognostic signature of four FAM-related genes (ACBD5, AVPR1A, ELOVL4, and FAAH) were developed. All patients were divided into high-risk (>1.020) and low-risk groups (≤1.020) on the basis of the median risk score. Survival analysis indicated that high-risk patients had a shorter OS than low-risk patients (5-year OS rate, 26.3% vs. 45.0%, p < 0.001). The AUC values for the prediction of 3-year and 5-year OS were 0.664 and 0.624, respectively. In the GSE62254 data set, the 5-year OS rate of high-risk and low-risk patients were 44.7% versus 61.5%, respectively (p = 0.003). The AUC values were 0.632 and 0.627 at 3-year and 5-year prediction. The prognostic signature of FAM-related genes was an independent predictor of OS (hanzard ratio [HR] for TCGA cohort: 1.851, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.394-2.458, p < 0.001; HR for GSE62254: 1.549, 95% CI: 1.098-2.185, p = 0.013). The risk signature of four FAM-related genes was a valuable prognostic tool, and it might be helpful for clinical management and therapeutic decision of gastric cancer patients.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase drives adult mammary gland development by promoting luminal cell differentiation

Mammary gland development occurs primarily in adulthood, undergoing extensive expansion during puberty followed by cycles of functional specialization and regression with every round of pregnancy/lactation/involution. This process is ultimately driven by the coordinated proliferation and differentiation of mammary epithelial cells. However, the endogenous molecular factors regulating these developmental dynamics are still poorly defined. Endocannabinoid signaling is known to determine cell fate-related events during the development of different organs in the central nervous system and the periphery. Here, we report that the endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) plays a pivotal role in adult mammary gland development. Specifically, it is required for luminal lineage specification in the mammary gland, and it promotes hormone-driven secretory differentiation of mammary epithelial cells by controlling the endogenous levels of anandamide and the subsequent activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors. Together, our findings shed light on the role of the endocannabinoid system in breast development and point to FAAH as a therapeutic target in milk-production deficits.