Featured Post from Augusta University

#Expert Research: Can CBD effectively impede growth of heterotopic lung cancer?

Jul 24, 2023

3 min

Babak Baban, PhD

Lung cancer is the most chronic form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality in the world, according to studies by the American Lung Association.


Despite recent advances in medical oncology, metastatic lung cancer remains incurable; however, a new discovery by Augusta University researchers has brought new hope to tackling the illness.


That discovery, which stems from a joint preclinic study conducted by scientists from the Dental College of Georgia and the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and Medicinal Cannabis of Georgia, LLC, was published in the May 2023 issue of Human Cell.



The study was led by Babak Baban, PhD, associate dean of research, immunologist and professor at DCG and one of the founders of Medicinal Cannabis of Georgia, an Augusta-based biomedical research and developmental company.


The study revealed for the first time that inhalant cannabidiol, commonly referred to as CBD, can effectively impede growth of heterotopic lung cancer.


“The central core of our research has been studying inflammatory diseases and for that we picked two different directions: one is centered around chronic inflammation in our system and the other is neurologic diseases such as dementia. Because of their impressive anti-inflammation effects, CBD, CBC and other cannabinoids have attracted our attention,” Baban said.

“We have had some exciting findings before, and based on those, we built a new model of lung cancer. This is the first time the effect of the CBD has been assessed in inhalant format using an inhaler. This makes it more translatable into humans and more accurate,” he said.

“Obviously, we are just as excited about our discoveries on mechanisms by which CBD worked. They help advance our understanding of the pathophysiology of lung cancer. We have seen some effects on plasticity and cancer stem cells, which appear to be crucial for tumors to regenerate and renew themselves.”



Unlike most anti-angiogenesis drugs, inhalant CBD at the experimental dosage did not show any detectable side effects or toxicity. The findings support the notion that inhalant CBD has enough beneficial effects as a viable complementary modality to be included in combination with current standard treatments for lung cancer.


Additionally, inhalant CBD delivered using a precisely metered dose is non-invasive, and has high translational value, warranting further research through clinical trials for lung cancer and possibly some other malignancies.


“The cannabis plant has over 113 cannabinoids, two of which are very famous: THC and cannabidiol, or CBD. We have conducted extensive research on medicinal cannabis since 2014, but cannabis has been utilized for medicinal purposes for over 1,000 years,” Baban said. “It is not until recently we have started understanding a little better mechanisms how cannabidiols like CBD work.”


Babak Baban is a professor, immunologist and associate dean for research at the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University where he has served for 13 of his 20 years as a translational and clinical immunologist.


Babak is available to speak to media about this important topic - simply click on his icon now to arrange a time to speak today.

Connect with:
Babak Baban, PhD

Babak Baban, PhD

Associate Dean for Research, Dental College of Georgia

Babak Baban, PhD, is a professor, immunologist and associate dean for research at the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University.

Cannabidiol (CBD)Oral BiologyLung Cancer

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Augusta University

2 min

AU study shows participation in civil society groups lowers suicide rates

A new study by Lance Hunter, PhD, professor of social science in Augusta University’s Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, reveals a direct link between voluntary involvement in civil social groups and a lower risk of suicide. In the study, published in Cross-Cultural Research, Hunter looked at data gathered from 2000 to 2019 from 156 countries with varying levels of development from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America and found that participation in civil society groups, both political and non-political, may produce positive social and psychological benefits that are associated with lower suicide rates. September is National Suicide Prevention Month, during which mental health advocates, prevention organizations and other community groups promote suicide prevention awareness. “The greater the voluntary participation in civil society groups within the country, the lower the suicide rates are for that country,” said Hunter. “Voluntary civil society participation is a great way for people to connect with other individuals with similar interests and possibly find meaning and purpose to some degree. That in turn decreases feelings of social isolation, which can decrease the likelihood of suicidality or suicide.” Based on the research, he noted that social isolation is a major factor in suicide ideation and attempted suicide but it’s not the only factor. “It is important to note there are many psychological, biological, social and mental health factors that can contribute to suicide risk. Civil society participation and social isolation are just two factors among many that can affect suicidality,” said Hunter. Meredith Rausch, PhD, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s Department of Research, Counseling and Curriculum, said research shows ideation and deaths by suicide in the United States tend to rise between February and April and again in August and September. “I have found the change in seasons often leads to people feeling overwhelmed when it comes to thinking about enduring another season,” said Rausch. “While the advent of spring or autumn may seem enjoyable or hopeful to some people, others find it to represent an entirely new season and the idea of experiencing that is exhausting.” Rausch also notes it’s important to note how these times of the year also coincide with the academic year, causing an increase in bullying, frustration with academics or other negative experiences for school-aged children. According to a 2023 study by the World Health Organization, more than 700,000 people worldwide die each year by suicide, and suicide is the fourth-leading cause of death among people 15 to 29 years old. Interested in learning more - let us help. Lance Hunter, PhD, is available to speak with media about this important topic - simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.

2 min

Study shows long COVID is associated with food insecurity

Nearly five years after the onset of COVID-19, researchers are continuing to unravel the disease’s impact on the lives of those who suffered or continue to suffer symptoms lasting more than three months. Biplab Datta, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Public Health, recently completed a study on the effects of long COVID and the association with food insecurity among low-income families, defined as those with income of less than 200% of the federal poverty line. “Those experiencing long COVID were more likely to have food security concerns. The interesting finding is we did not see an impact of COVID infection in general on food insecurity. The association was only observed for those who experienced long COVID conditions,” said Datta. The study looked at two different groups of people – one that received public food assistance and one that did not. Datta said those who didn’t receive public assistance and suffered from long COVID were more likely to experience food insecurity, especially in terms of “anxiety over food sufficiency and shortage.” When looking at protection, treatment or prevention of COVID and food insecurity, Datta said while COVID is a public health issue, food insecurity is a public finance issue. However, he added that considering the two issues in tandem could lessen the overall burden and help better manage any future pandemics. “Knowing that long COVID may influence food insecurity creates opportunities for aiding patients with resources to improve their food access,” said Datta. “As such, targeted and tailored food assistance arrangements could be offered to low-income individuals diagnosed with long COVID.”

3 min

#Expert Q and A: Disinformation and Elections

Question: Taylor Swift recently took to her Instagram page to “set the record straight” about an AI version of her that had “endorsed” Former President Donald Trump. What are some of the things people can look for to know if a celebrity has indeed endorsed a candidate? Answer: People can go to the celebrity’s social media page to see their recent social media activity. On the page, people can search for information regarding political endorsements. People should be aware that many fake and parody social media accounts exist for celebrities, so people need to make sure they locate the real social media accounts of the celebrity in question. Also, people can search reputable news sources to see if there is any verifiable information (i.e., the information has been verified by other reputable news sources) regarding celebrity endorsements. Question: In an era where it is too easy for anyone to alter images or video, what are some of the dangers that can be associated with these deep fakes? How can this negatively impact the election, and just life in general with having this kind of misinformation out there? Answer: There can be multiple concerns regarding disinformation and elections. One, if voters make decisions about whether to vote for a candidate based on disinformation/misinformation, this is a concern for elections because in a democracy the hope is that voters can make informed voting decisions based on accurate information. Second, if millions of people are exposed to disinformation/misinformation and only a small percentage of those are not aware that the disinformation/misinformation is false, this could have significant effects for elections. The reason is that in recent presidential elections, and likely in the upcoming election, the margin of victory in some swing states can be less than 1% of the total state vote in some cases. Thus, if only a small percentage of individuals who are exposed to disinformation/misinformation believe the information is true, and the disinformation/misinformation affects their voting decisions, that could have significant effects on the election outcome of a given swing state. Furthermore, we know that the election outcome of each swing state has important implications for the overall presidential election outcome. Question: Do celebrity endorsements still help or hurt candidates? Answer: The empirical evidence linking specific celebrity endorsements to election outcomes is mixed. Based on existing research, we can’t say that a specific celebrity endorsement led to an election victory or loss. However, there has been some interesting research from Harvard (2024) that shows that celebrity endorsements do matter for elections by potentially increasing voter interest, voter engagement and voter registration. One example is in September of 2023 when Taylor Swift made an Instagram post encouraging individuals to vote. Immediately afterward, 35,000 individuals registered to vote on the non-partisan voter registration website Vote.org . So, while we can’t say that a certain celebrity endorsement will directly affect an election outcome, celebrities can move the needle in terms of voter interest, voter registration, and potentially voter turnout, which can influence election outcomes. Interested in learning more - let us help. Lance Hunter, PhD, is a professor of political science with a background in international relations. He is available to speak with media about this important topic - simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.

View all posts
Powered by