Cannabinoids for Fighting Bacterial and Fungal Infections Through Anti-Quorum Sensing

Application

• Bacteria communicate and coordinate population behavior through the mechanism of quorum sensing (QS), which controls the expression of genes that affect a variety of bacterial processes.
• Cannabis, Cannabinoids and endo-cannabinoids can act as novel anti-microbial agents affecting pathogens both in planktonic and biofilm environments.
• Their effect on bacterial QS has never been investigated.

Our Innovation

A novel concept for fighting bacterial and fungal infections, accumulations and pathogenicity using synthetic cannabinoid HU-210.

Technology

• QS Mechanism is based on small signaling molecules, termed autoinducers (AIs), which control factors such as  bioluminescence, pigment production, motility and biofilm formation, among many others.
• The QS, free-living marine bacterium Vibrio harveyi produces and responds to at least three distinct AIs: HAI-1, AI-2 and CAI-1.   AI-2 Is referred to "universal autoinducer" as it is found in numerous Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria

Opportunity

• Practical implications against topical infections (as dermal infections), oral infections, internal bacterial/fungal infections, lung infections (as CF) and infections associated with indwelling procedures (as catheters).
• Enable the manipulation of bacterial properties that are of major importance in industry, agriculture and medicine