Searching for a New Anti‐Cancer Drug: Investigation of KY Hemp‐Induced Apoptosis in Ovarian Cancer Cells

Marijuana ( cannabis sativa ) is a schedule 1 drug that has been recently approved by some states in the US for its therapeutic benefit. Although there are a few reports about its anti‐cancer potential, currently it has been used mainly for treatment‐resistant epilepsy and to alleviate pain. However, marijuana is addictive and causes mind‐altering actions. Hemp, which belongs to the same genus and species as marijuana, shows similar therapeutic benefits without addictive potential. Our laboratory is interested in examining for unconventional therapies for ovarian cancer. The main objective of the current study is to investigate hemp‐induced modulation of A2780 ovarian cancer cell apoptosis. Methods KY‐Hemp extracts were made via supercritical CO 2 extraction, and its cannabidiol content was analyzed using HPLC by KY commonwealth Extracts and MRX laboratories respectively. In our laboratory this hemp extract, which contained cannabidiol (CBD) and minimal tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was tested for its anti‐cancer effects. A2780 epithelial ovarian cancer cells (OCCs) were seeded in 12‐well plates. Following serum starvation, the OCCs were treated with vehicle (no hemp negative control), Staurosporine (positive control for apoptosis) or different concentrations of hemp extracts for 24 hours. Then cell supernatants were removed and subject to Bradford protein assay followed by caspase‐3 ELISA. Caspase‐3 is one of the major caspases released from apoptotic cells. Caspase‐3 released from each treatment group was detected using caspase‐3 ELISA based on manufacturer's protocol. In brief, caspase‐3 standards and cell supernatants from all treatment groups, including negative and positive controls, were incubated in ELISA plates coated with caspase‐3 antibodies. After a series of steps that included treatment with secondary antibodies and a substrate solution, caspase‐3 levels were detected spectrophotometrically. To ensure the reproducibility, each experiment was repeated a minimum of three times. We also studied pure CBD (analytical standard from Sigma Aldrich) induced apoptosis in A2780 OCCs. Our results indicate that KY hemp extract cause significant increase in caspase‐3 release, which is indicative of apoptosis of OCCs. Caspase‐3 release is significant at hemp extracts that contain 83.5 μM and 167 μM CBD. KY hemp‐induced caspase‐3 secretion is somewhat comparable to pure CBD‐induced caspase‐3 release. Currently we are investigating the anti‐apoptotic effects of hemp at lower concentrations. Based on the data here we conclude that KY hemp has anti‐cancer potential against ovarian cancer Support or Funding Information Funding was provided by Sullivan University System via a faculty development grant awarded to Dr. Sumanasekera This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .