Journal
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
Volume 73, Issue 23, Pages 4449-4470Publisher
SPRINGER BASEL AG
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2300-4
Keywords
CB2 receptor; Cannabinoid; Endocannabinoid; Inflammation; Leukocytes
Categories
Funding
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research [MOP-97930]
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- le Fonds sur les maladies respiratoires
- Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
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The CB2 receptor is the peripheral receptor for cannabinoids. It is mainly expressed in immune tissues, highlighting the possibility that the endocannabinoid system has an immunomodulatory role. In this respect, the CB2 receptor was shown to modulate immune cell functions, both in cellulo and in animal models of inflammatory diseases. In this regard, numerous studies have reported that mice lacking the CB2 receptor have an exacerbated inflammatory phenotype. This suggests that therapeutic strategies aiming at modulating CB2 signaling could be promising for the treatment of various inflammatory conditions. Herein, we review the pharmacology of the CB2 receptor, its expression pattern, and the signaling pathways induced by its activation. We next examine the regulation of immune cell functions by the CB2 receptor and the evidence obtained from primary human cells, immortalized cell lines, and animal models of inflammation. Finally, we discuss the possible therapies targeting the CB2 receptor and the questions that remain to be addressed to determine whether this receptor could be a potential target to treat inflammatory disease.
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