Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39851499›Full record

ArticleCells2025

Synthetic CB1 Cannabinoids Promote Tunneling Nanotube Communication, Cellular Migration, and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Pancreatic PANC-1 and Colorectal SW-620 Cancer Cell Lines.

David A Bunsick, Leili Baghaie, Yunfan Li, Abdulrahman M Yaish, Emilyn B Aucoin, Elizabeth Skapinker, Rashelle Aldbai, Myron R Szewczuk

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cells, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

David A BunsickDepartment of Biomedical & Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7050-5042
Leili BaghaieDepartment of Biomedical & Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.ORCID 0009-0000-7135-2570
Yunfan LiFaculty of Arts and Science, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N9, Canada.
Abdulrahman M YaishFaculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N9, Canada.ORCID 0009-0008-0220-3211
Emilyn B AucoinFaculty of Science, Biology (Biomedical Science), York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada.ORCID 0009-0005-0327-2188
Elizabeth SkapinkerFaculty of Arts and Science, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N9, Canada.
Rashelle AldbaiDepartment of Biomedical & Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
Myron R SzewczukDepartment of Biomedical & Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8471-5481

Funding

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Grant # RGPIN-2020-03869 Grant # RGPIN-2020-03869
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Metastasizing cancer cells surreptitiously can adapt to metabolic activity during their invasion. By initiating their communications for invasion, cancer cells can reprogram their cellular activities to initiate their proliferation and migration and uniquely counteract metabolic stress during their progression. During this reprogramming process, cancer cells' metabolism and other cellular activities are integrated and mutually regulated by tunneling nanotube communications to alter their specific metabolic functional drivers of tumor growth and progression. Here, we investigated the in vitro effects of the synthetic CB1 cannabinoids AM-404, arvanil, and olvanil on human pancreatic PANC-1 and colorectal SW-620 cancer cell lines to understand further cellular behaviors and the potential risks of their use in cancer therapy. For the first time, the synthetic CB1 cannabinoids AM-404, arvanil, and olvanil significantly altered cancer cells in forming missile-like shapes to induce tunneling nanotube (TNT) communications in PANC-1 cells. Oseltamivir phosphate (OP) significantly prevented TNT formation. To assess the key survival pathways critical for pancreatic cancer progression, we used the AlamarBlue assay to determine synthetic CB1 cannabinoids to induce the cell's metabolic viability drivers to stage migratory intercellular communication. The synthetic CB1 cannabinoids significantly increased cell viability compared to the untreated control for PANC-1 and SW-620 cells, and this response was significantly reduced with the NMBR inhibitor BIM-23127, neuraminidase-1 inhibitor OP, and MMP-9 inhibitor (MMP-9i). CB1 cannabinoids also significantly increased N-cadherin and decreased E-cadherin EMT markers compared to the untreated controls, inducing the process of metastatic phenotype for invasion. BIM-23127, MMP9i, and OP significantly inhibited CB1 agonist-induced NFκB-dependent secretory alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) activity. To confirm this concept, we investigated the migratory invasiveness of PANC-1 and SW-620 cancer cells treated with the synthetic CB1 cannabinoids AM-404, arvanil, and olvanil in a scratch wound assay. CB1 cannabinoids significantly induced the rate of migration and invasiveness of PANC-1 cancer cells, whereas they had minimal effect on the rate of migration of already metastatic SW-620 cancer cells. Interestingly, olvanil-treated SW-620 cells significantly enhanced the migration rate and invasiveness of these cells. The data support the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the synthetic CB1 cannabinoids, orchestrating intercellular conduits to enhance metabolic drivers to stage migratory intercellular communication in pancreatic cancer cells.

Indexed as

CannabinoidsCell CommunicationCell MovementColorectal NeoplasmsEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionNanotubesPancreatic NeoplasmsReceptor, Cannabinoid, CB1Cell Line, TumorCell ProliferationHumansCannabinoidsReceptor, Cannabinoid, CB1CB1 cannabinoidscolorectal SW-620EMTinhibitor OPmigrationpancreatic PANC-1tunneling nanotube

Identifiers

PMID39851499
PMCPMC11763365

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.