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Researchers at the University of Queensland have found that a topical formulation containing cannabidiol (CBD) is effective at killing bacterial skin infections and could form the basis of a new drug.
The team found that the non-psychoactive ingredient killed all strains of bacteria they tested, including strains that have become highly resistant to the antibiotics currently available.
The findings were recently presented at this year’s meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.
The new work has demonstrated that CBD is active against Gram-positive bacteria, including strains that cause many serious illnesses such as MRSA, streptococcus pneumoniae and E. faecalis, which can be fatal among people with weakened immune systems.
Furthermore, the bacteria did not develop resistance to the drug after being exposed to it for 20 days, which is how long it usually takes bacteria to survive some of the antibiotics currently used.
CBD, the main non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis and hemp plants, has already been FDA-approved for the treatment of one type of epilepsy, and is currently being investigated as a treatment for several other conditions including, anxiety, pain and inflammation.
Scientists already knew that certain cannabinoids possess impressive antibacterial properties.
While a small number of studies have suggested CBD can kill bacteria, it has not been properly explored as a potential antibiotic.
Dr. Mar lk Blaskovich and colleagues, working in collaboration with a drug discovery company called Botanix Pharmaceuticals Ltd, have now found that synthetic CBD was surprisingly effective at killing different Gram-positive bacteria, including ones that are resistant to other antibiotics, and remained effective for an extended period.
Botanix has been trying to harness the potential antibacterial activity of CBD by finding effective delivery systems that could be used to treat a range of skin infections.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20...superbugs.aspx