A review published in the Journal of Cannabis Research provides insights into the links between cannabinoid genetics and their therapeutic properties. These data are critical for identifying the set of therapeutic properties associated with specific cannabinoids.
The researchers used state-of-the-art natural language processing (NLP) to extract information from many cannabis-related publications. They also created an interactive application to visualize sub-graphs. The review included 234 cannabis constituent chemicals, 352 therapeutic properties, and 124 genes from the Cannabis sativa genome. The data was then used to form a multipartite network graph. The researchers used this process to scan 29,817 cannabis-related research documents from PubMed Central and present the data in the network graph. The network features an interactive dashboard to facilitate querying of nodes or sets of nodes. The team then generated visual figures that display gene linkage to property through a specific chemical. Some subgraphs reflect the therapeutic properties associated with a group of monoterpenes. The data allows researchers to analyze groups of chemicals and assess their contribution to a specific therapeutic effect.
The findings can be used to inform the research and practices of cannabis breeders, biochemists, pharmaceutical researchers, and scientists from diverse disciplines. Many researchers and patients believe that medical cannabis is most effective when a patient uses a strain with genes that will target specific health complaints. Therefore, this network serves as an important foundation for the optimization of cannabinoid products for medicine. In addition, knowledge of cannabis genetics will help minimize or avoid potential adverse effects for patients.
As legalization increases across the United States and globe, research on cannabis compounds and their various therapeutic potential properties will increase. The researchers intend to update this first-of-its-kind network at 6 month or annual intervals in order. They will analyze and include data from newly published PubMed Central Open Access cannabis-related documents. The research team hopes it will promote additional cannabis research and identify new research questions.
Sources: Journal of Cannabis Research
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