This project deals with Cannabidiol (CBD), a molecule which has gained increasing popularity among the public for its potential health benefits, especially relating to certain crippling neurological disorders. This study investigates the impact that CBD molecules have when interacting with the membranes surrounding human cells. Using a model of a cell membrane consisting of lipid molecules with different amounts of cholesterol, CBD is shown to influence the rate at which water molecules move across the lipid membrane, and such rate depends on the amount of cholesterol present in the lipid membrane. Specifically, in the presence of no or low amount of cholesterol, CBD decreases the water movement, while the opposite happens when high amounts of cholesterol are present. This work demonstrates that there is a sensitivity to the interaction of CBD molecules with cell membranes, depending on the quantity of cholesterol in a cell membrane. The significance of this finding is related to the potential use of CBD in pharmaceutical treatments of neurodegenerative diseases, the kind that are linked to varying levels of cholesterol in the central nervous system.

Differential interaction of cannabidiol with biomembranes dependent on cholesterol concentration

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.