Protecting brain cells with cannabinol: Salk researchers find CBN neuroprotection and create improved CBN analogs for brain injury and neurodegeneration

Cannabinol (CBN) shows neuroprotective potential by preventing mitochondrial dysfunction that contributes to neuron death linked to oxytosis and ferroptosis. Salk Institute researchers identify the active chemical groups in CBN that drive this neuroprotection and then use fragment based drug discovery to build four CBN inspired analogs. These analogs are designed to enter the brain more efficiently and act with stronger neuroprotective effect than standard CBN. In mouse and human nerve cell cultures, the analogs protect cells under multiple induced triggers of oxytosis and ferroptosis. In a Drosophila traumatic brain injury model, one analog (CP1) produces particularly high survival after injury. The work positions CBN and especially its improved derivatives as candidate therapeutics for conditions such as traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.