Chemically modified inhibitors of the COX-2 enzyme have been found to relieve anxiety in lab mice.
While this method might prove to be dangerous in humans – trials will test this – the fact that a new breakthrough is on the horizon for those struggling with stress management will give a boost to those affected.
A team at Vanderbilt University found that COX-2 molecules activated in lab mice had a huge impact on behaviour and reduced harmful activity in the brain.
COX-2 helps the body to use endocannabinoids, which are commonly seen in marijuana and are responsible for its relaxing effects, but scientists found a method to mitigate the impact of its gastrointestinal side effect.
Commonly referred to as the “munchies”, regularly activating endocannabinoids can make people more hungry and, over a prolonged period of time, patients taking the new anxiety medicine could have developed dietary problems if this problem was not solved.
