Marijuana dressing? Research developed at Unicamp expands the medicinal use of cannabis | Campinas and Region

Marijuana research at Unicamp develops new forms of health treatments

Researchers from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) are developing projects that expand the medical use of marijuana and promise to offer more comfort for patients with different health conditions (watch the report above).

Among the products under creation are:

• One hydrogel film with cannabinoidswhich serves as a dressing, helping wounds heal and preventing wound infections;
• One dermal patch which replaces oral use and can be placed on the skin, in the back region;
• One orodispersible emulsionwhich provides an improvement in the texture, smell and flavor of cannabis oil.

The goal is explore new ways of consuming the medicine, which is currently carried out using extract from the plant’s flower. According to experts, although it is the most common, the oil may not suit all patients. Unicamp pharmaceutical technology professor Priscila Mazzola spoke about the subject.

“We always think about product development with greater patient adherence to drug therapy in mind. Of course, the oils that exist today, which are available for purchase, are safe and effective. What we are looking for are therapeutic alternatives to resolve some issues.”

“The largest fraction is medicines for oral use. But, in other situations, other routes of administration, so use the adhesive on the surface of the skin, use rectally, vaginally, eye drops. Depending on the disease and the patient’s condition, it is important to have a different therapeutic arsenal”, he adds.

A EPTVa TV Globo affiliate, spoke with the institution’s young researchers to understand more details about each initiative. Check out more details below:

The anti-inflammatory properties of marijuana are the focus of researcher Nicole Ferrari de Carvalho. She created a hydrogel film, a type of dressing, which will have cannabinoids and will help treat injuries. “The hydrogel has the same texture as a contact lens. When in contact with water, it will hydrate and you can put it on your skin. It is intended for both healing and anti-inflammatory purposes.”

“[Se] I got a burn, can I put [o hidrogel] as a way to relieve pain, not cause inflammation. I got a cut, I can put it on top too to alleviate the pain, not get bacteria. Everything passing through the skin and reaching the layers where it will take effect”, he details.

Luiza Aparecida Luna Silveiro is the creator of patch with cannabidiol. She says that she has always been interested in topics related to degenerative diseases, which are usually associated with long treatments and are not always effective. In many of these cases, cannabis is the best alternative. However, it may not be so good for everyone.

“One problem we have is that oral medication only exists in Brazil. It’s an oil in drops or a spray that we put in our mouth and swallow. This leads to very low bioavailability. This means that the amount in the body to have action is very low. People end up having to take a very high dose several times a day.”

“I am developing a transdermal patch with marijuana. The patch is a medicine that you place under the skin and it is absorbed into the blood. You can leave the patch on your skin for several days, for example. You don’t need to take that medication all the time,” he adds.

Thinking about patients who may be uncomfortable with the taste and texture of traditional cannabis oil, Juliana Feitosa Brasil also had an idea. She created a medicine to be used orally, but with an important difference.

“I am developing an oral emulsion that consists of a mixture of water and oil. The oil would remain in the internal phase and the external phase would be water surrounding this oil. The idea of ​​the emulsion is to mask the odor and improve the taste and flavor.”

The products are in the initial phase. Many tests still need to be carried out so that the population can access these treatments more safely. “Marijuana research in Brazil needs to be stimulated, not only in our case, which is drug development, but in all areas. Brazil has immense research potential, excellent researchers”, says Priscila.