Promoting wound healing of uremic calciphylaxis leg ulcers using topical cannabis‐based medicines

Abstract

Calciphylaxis is a rare vasculopathy that mostly occurs in the chronic renal failure population. 1,2 Most commonly referred to as Uremic Calciphylaxis (UC), it may also be dubbed Calcific Uremic Arteriolopathy. 1,2 UC is a vexing, enigmatic, and often lethal complication afflicting patients with chronic renal failure. 1,2 UC occurs in about 1% in individuals with chronic renal failure. Integumentary lesions caused

A new treatment paradigm for sickle cell disease leg ulcers: Topical cannabis‐based medicines

“…It has been theorized that dysregulated ECS signalling is central to the pathophysiology of integumentary and wound conditions 4,5 . Together with a robust preclinical literature that reports the ability of cannabis extracts to promote wound healing and analgesia, human evidence is beginning to accrue demonstrating that cannabis‐based medicines containing cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids are showing promise in the most challenging and “orphaned” diseases such as epidermolysis bullosa, 6 pyoderma gangrenosum 7 and calciphylaxis, both uraemic and non‐uraemic 8,9 …”

Chronic inflammation and calciphylaxis

“…Our patient had relief using a stepwise approach with acetaminophen, oxycodone and gabapentin as adjuvant therapy 14. Recent studies have shown that topical cannabinoid-based medicine applied to wound bed and peri wound tissues can promote complete wound closure and provide clinically significant relief of wound related pain 15 16. Sodium thiosulfate is the most used drug in the treatment of both uraemic and non-uraemic calciphylaxis 13.…”

Topical cannabis‐based medicines – A novel adjuvant treatment for venous leg ulcers: An open‐label trial

“…55 One patient with a severe case of chronic uremic calciphylaxis demonstrated positive healing trends when treated with VS-12 and VS-14. 56 One patient with chronic leg ulcers associated with sickle cell disease achieved complete closure of multiple wounds within a mean of 43 days when treated with topical Cannabis-Based Medicines, VS-21 and VS-22, which are chemically related to VS-12 and VS-14 but augmented with the addition of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). 57 Although it is theorized that the positive results observed were due to local absorption and associated activities within the tissues of the wound bed and peri-wound, it is not known if systemic absorption of the various components of TCBM contributed to the outcomes.…”