This company has unlocked medical cannabis' mechanism of action in children with autism spectrum disorder

Cannformatics, an early-stage biotechnology startup, has identified 22 new potential lipid-based Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers in the saliva of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The Biomarkers

All 22 biomarkers shifted toward the physiological range of typically developing children following successful medical cannabis treatment. These biomarkers include central nervous system lipids that are primarily associated with cellular activity in the brain indicating medical cannabis’ potential to impact neuron function in children with ASD. These discoveries continue the company’s progress towards launching a personalized medicine service as a resource to healthcare providers and patients wanting to use cannabinoid-based medicines and products to treat complex medical conditions. (Benzinga)

The Journal

The company published its findings in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research in a paper titled, “The potential of salivary lipid-based Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers to evaluate medical cannabis treatment in children with ASD.”

This paper is the second to come from the company’s ASD Pilot study. The first paper, published in December 2021, established Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers as a universal tool for measuring medical cannabis impact. Together the two papers demonstrate the potential for saliva-based Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers to be a tool for both clinicians treating patients with medical cannabis and life science companies developing next-generation cannabinoid-based medicines and applications.

New Opportunities

According to Itzhak Kurek, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Cannformatics, unlocking medical cannabis’ mechanism of action allows the company to demonstrate that “Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers can provide life science companies and clinicians with new tools for understanding the role of cannabis in maintaining homeostasis of the central nervous system in children with ASD. This study also opens new opportunities to evaluate medical cannabis treatment in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and ALS, in which some of these potential lipid-based Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers are known to play a role."

Kurek added, “We are now in a position to raise the capital needed to launch the ASD service platform and expand into neurodegenerative diseases.” 

Also commenting on the news, Cannformatics chief commercial officer Kenneth Epstein noted that this second paper marks a pivotal moment for Cannformatics “as it fully validates our technology and clearly positions us as the biotechnology leader in medical cannabis treatment.”

Gratitude Toward Children And Families Involved

“We continue to be grateful to the children and families that participated in the study as well as our sponsors Canniatric and Whole Plant Access for Autism. The findings from this study went well beyond our expectations,” Epstein concluded.

Article by Javier Hasse