The study shows that frequent use of high-potency cannabis alters DNA, affecting genes related to energy and immune function. These changes differ between those with and without psychosis, suggesting cannabis use could influence mental health through biological pathways.
According to new research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London and the University of Exeter, the use of high-potency cannabis leaves a unique imprint on DNA.
Published in Molecular Psychiatry, this is the first study to suggest that the use of high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA, providing valuable insights into the biological impact of cannabis use. High-potency cannabis is defined as having Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of 10 percent or more.
The research also showed the effect of cannabis use on DNA is different in people experiencing their first episode of psychosis compared to users who have never experienced psychosis, suggesting there could be potential for DNA blood tests to help characterize those cannabis users at risk of developing psychosis to inform preventative approaches.
The study was funded by the Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), and the NIHR Exeter BRC.
Senior author Marta Di Forti, Professor of Drugs, Genes, and Psychosis at King's IoPPN said: "With the increasing prevalence of cannabis use and more availability of high potency cannabis, there is a pressing need to better understand its biological impact, particularly on mental health. Our study is the first to show that potency cannabis leaves a unique signature on DNA related to mechanisms around the immune system and energy production. Future research needs to explore if the DNA signature for current cannabis use, and in particular the one of high potency types, can help identify those users most at risk to develop psychosis, both in recreational and medicinal use settings."
Research Focus on DNA Methylation
Researchers explored the effects of cannabis use on DNA methylation – a chemical process detected in blood samples that alters how genes are functioning (whether they are switched 'on' or 'off'). DNA methylation is a type of epigenetic change, which means it alters gene expression without affecting the DNA sequence itself and is considered a vital factor in the interplay between risk factors and mental health.
The laboratory team at the University of Exeter conducted complex analyses of DNA methylation across the whole human genome using blood samples from both people who have experienced first-episode psychosis and those who have never had a psychotic experience. The researchers investigated the impact of current cannabis use, including frequency and potency, on the DNA of a total of 682 participants
Key Findings on Gene Function
The analysis showed that frequent users of high-potency cannabis had changes in genes related to mitochondrial and immune function, particularly the CAVIN1 gene, which could affect energy and immune response. These changes were not explained by the well-established impact that tobacco has on DNA methylation, which is usually mixed into joints by most cannabis users.
Dr. Emma Dempster, Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter and the study's first author, said: "This is the first study to show that frequent use of high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct molecular mark on DNA, particularly affecting genes related to energy and immune function. Our findings provide important insights into how cannabis use may alter biological processes. DNA methylation, which bridges the gap between genetics and environmental factors, is a key mechanism that allows external influences, such as substance use, to impact gene activity. These epigenetic changes, shaped by lifestyle and exposures, offer a valuable perspective on how cannabis use may influence mental health through biological pathways."
Dr. Emma Dempster meta-analyzed data from two cohorts: the GAP study, which consists of patients with first-episode psychosis in South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and the EU-GEI study, which consists of patients with first-episode psychosis and healthy controls across England, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Brazil. This totaled 239 participants with first-episode psychosis and 443 healthy controls representing the general population from both studies sites who had available DNA samples.
Most of the cannabis users in the study used high-potency cannabis more than once a week (defined as frequent use) and had first used cannabis at age 16 years old, on average. High potency cannabis was defined as having Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of 10 percent or greater. THC is the principal psychoactive constituent in cannabis.
Reference: "Methylomic signature of current cannabis use in two first-episode psychosis cohorts" by Emma L. Dempster, Chloe C. Y. Wong, Joe Burrage, Eilis Hannon, Diego Quattrone, Giulia Trotta, Victoria Rodriguez, Luis Alameda, Edoardo Spinazzola, Giada Tripoli, Isabelle Austin-Zimmerman, Zhikun Li, Charlotte Gayer-Anderson, Tom P. Freeman, Emma C. Johnson, Hannah E. Jongsma, Simona Stilo, Caterina La Cascia, Laura Ferraro, Daniele La Barbera, Antonio Lasalvia, Sarah Tosato, Ilaria Tarricone, Giuseppe D'Andrea, Michela Galatolo, Andrea Tortelli, Maurizio Pompili, Jean-Paul Selten, Lieuwe de Haan, Paulo Rossi Menezes, Cristina M. Del Ben, Jose Luis Santos, Manuel Arrojo, Julio Bobes, Julio Sanjuán, Miguel Bernardo, Celso Arango, Peter B. Jones, Gerome Breen, Valeria Mondelli, Paola Dazzan, Conrad Iyegbe, Evangelos Vassos, Craig Morgan, Diptendu Mukherjee, Jim van Os, Bart Rutten, Michael C. O'Donovan, Pak Sham, Jonathan Mill, Robin Murray and Marta Di Forti, 16 October 2024, Molecular Psychiatry.
DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02689-0
Funding: Medical Research Council, NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre
News
Cancer’s Hidden Antioxidant Shield Helps It Escape the Immune System
Blocking an antioxidant protein that tumors use to suppress immune attacks improved cancer immunotherapy responses in mice. Cancer cells can release antioxidants that interfere with the immune cells trying to kill them. Researchers have [...]
Scientists Find a Berry Compound That Helps Muscle Cells Burn Fat
Pterostilbene, a compound found naturally in some foods, affects how skeletal muscles process fats by stabilizing a protein called PPARδ and increasing its signaling activity. Pterostilbene, a natural compound found in blueberries, grapes, and [...]
Two Hidden Forces Help Build the Human Brain Before Birth
Scientists have uncovered two surprising forces that help guide how the human brain forms before birth. Before birth, the human brain is shaped in large part by an unusual class of stem cells known [...]
Researchers Uncover a Hidden Trigger Behind Chronic Inflammation
The findings offer new insights that could help guide the development of future therapies. A protein called human resistin may help flip on one of the immune system’s most powerful inflammatory switches. Researchers at [...]
Scientists Have Uncovered Previously Hidden Microbial Activity on Human Skin
The most abundant microbes on your skin may not be the ones doing most of the work. Human skin supports vast communities of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that can influence its protective barrier, immune [...]
Brazilian Tree Compounds Fight COVID-19 on Multiple Fronts
Scientists found compounds in a Brazilian tree that hit SARS-CoV-2 on multiple fronts, revealing a promising new lead in the search for COVID-19 treatments. Researchers have found that galloylquinic acids extracted from the leaves [...]
Cutting Two Amino Acids Slowed Prostate Cancer in Mice
A newly identified link between amino acid metabolism and cholesterol production may help prostate tumors adapt to hormone therapy. Prostate cancer can find ways around treatments designed to deprive tumors of the hormones they [...]
Largest-Ever Physics Survey Raises New Doubts About Our Model of the Universe
Physicists around the world remain deeply divided on key mysteries of the universe, from dark matter to quantum gravity. The standard cosmological model failed to gain majority support, and no leading theory dominated the [...]
Scientists Just Overturned a 100-Year-Old Belief About Bacteria in the Lungs
New findings raise questions about the role of microbes living in the lungs. More than 35 trillion bacteria live throughout the human body, forming microbiomes in the gut, mouth, lungs, skin, and urogenital tract. [...]
GHCE Concept
From the preface of the book Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artificial Intelligence, Edited by Frank Boehm: Since the publication of my first book (Nanomedical Device and Systems [...]
Novartis, Ionis drug failure spurs questions
Pelacarsen didn’t protect heart health despite lowering levels of a protein particle, “Lp(a),” in a large clinical trial — a result with important implications for cardiovascular drug research. Dive Brief: An RNA drug from [...]
New injectable treatment helps the brain rebuild after stroke
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have created an injectable biomaterial that may help the brain recover from damage left behind by an ischemic stroke. In experiments with mice, the material transformed the cavity created [...]
Scientists Discover a Hidden “Immune Organ” Inside the Skull
Researchers discovered lymph node-like immune hubs inside skull bone marrow that appear to act as rapid-response centers for the brain. For decades, the brain was thought to operate largely apart from the immune system. [...]
Engineered tRNAs and lipid nanoparticles target nonsense mutation cystic fibrosis
Researchers have developed a potential new approach for treating a form of cystic fibrosis caused by so-called nonsense mutations, combining chemically modified transfer RNAs with lipid nanoparticles designed to deliver the therapy directly to [...]
New pancreatic cancer drug carries a $39,800 monthly list price
A groundbreaking treatment for one of the most common forms of pancreatic cancer has been approved in pill form by the FDA. Revolution Medicines’ oral tablet daraxonrasib, branded as Rasonque, reduced the risk of [...]
Researchers Have Discovered a New Way To Reduce Chronic Nerve Pain
A cancer-linked protein called BRAF may help drive chronic nerve pain, and existing cancer drugs targeting it reduced pain sensitivity in preclinical models. Chronic nerve pain can persist long after an injury and often [...]
