Therapeutic potential of the endocannabinoid system to treat chronic pain in inflammatory disease

Therapeutic potential of the endocannabinoid system to treat chronic pain in inflammatory disease Pharma researchers Julie Blaising and Philip Smith from F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. discuss the endocannabinoid system as a pathway to treat inflammatory diseases such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and endometriosis. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex system that comprises the cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2, respectively), endocannabinoid (EC) ligands, and enzymes involved in the synthesis and degradation of endocannabinoids. (1) It is broadly expressed in the body and modulates physiology and immunity. (2, 3)