# The Therapeutic Crossroad Between Mitochondria and Cannabidiol: A Mini-Review

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound from cannabis, affects mitochondria and may help treat various diseases.

## Contribution

The paper highlights novel insights into CBD's mitochondrial effects across multiple disease models and identifies new therapeutic directions.

## Key findings

- CBD reduces oxidative stress and promotes mitochondrial biogenesis in cardiovascular diseases.
- CBD stabilizes mitochondrial function and reduces oxidative stress in liver and gastrointestinal diseases.
- CBD inhibits excessive mitophagy in muscle diseases, improving mitochondrial function.

## Abstract

Cannabidiol is a compound from the plant Cannabis sativa that does not produce psychoactive effects and has increasingly been studied for its therapeutic potential. This article addresses the role of cannabidiol in mitochondrial function, as mitochondria are essential for cellular energy transformation and for maintaining normal cellular responses to stress. The article reviews current research on the effects of cannabidiol on mitochondria in different disease models, including cancer, cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, gastrointestinal, liver, and muscle diseases. Although clinical application of cannabidiol is limited by its low systemic availability and non-selective cytotoxicity, recent advances in formulation may help overcome this limitation. Overall, the effects of cannabidiol on mitochondrial function indicate its potential relevance as a therapeutic approach for a wide range of diseases and identifies directions for future research.

Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive compound originating from Cannabis sativa L., with a promising therapeutic profile that influences numerous cellular processes. A major area of interest is its impact on mitochondria, organelles essential for cellular metabolism, ATP production, calcium homeostasis, and stress response. This article explores the available data on contribution of CBD effect on mitochondria to its therapeutic potential in treatment of various pathologies: cancer, cardiovascular, lung, neurological, gastrointestinal and liver disease, and muscle pathologies. Regarding cancer, the cytotoxic effects of cannabidiol on glioma, leukaemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, prostate, gastric, and breast cancer are analysed. In the case of cardiomyopathies and heart failure, cannabidiol plays an important role in reducing oxidative stress and promoting mitochondrial biogenesis. In lung diseases, cannabidiol reduces the expression of mitochondrial fission genes and increases the expression of fusion genes. When it comes to neurological pathologies, cannabidiol protects neurons and exhibits a strong antioxidant effect, while in gastrointestinal and liver diseases, cannabidiol stabilises mitochondrial membrane potential, increases ATP production, and reduces oxidative stress. In muscle affections, cannabidiol improves mitochondrial function by inhibiting excessive mitophagy. Although modern formulations may improve the low bioavailability of CBD, its potential non-selective cytotoxicity toward non-malignant cells remains an important concern that warrants further investigation. Nevertheless, cannabidiol possesses a remarkable therapeutic potential, and its effects on mitochondria open new perspectives in the treatment of numerous diseases.