Cannabis compounds show promise in fighting fatty liver disease, scientists say
Baku, March 6, AZERTAC
Two non-psychoactive compounds derived from the cannabis plant could help treat fatty liver disease by improving how liver cells manage energy and clear harmful fats, TPS-IL reported citing the Israeli scientists. The findings could eventually pave the way for new plant-based therapies targeting one of the world’s most widespread metabolic disorders.
A Hebrew University of Jerusalem study found that cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) significantly reduced liver fat and improved metabolic health in laboratory models. Scientists said the compounds appear to work through a newly identified mechanism that strengthens the liver’s internal energy reserves while restoring cellular systems that break down metabolic waste.
The study was led by Prof. Joseph (Yossi) Tam and colleagues at the Hebrew University’s School of Pharmacy in the Faculty of Medicine. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Pharmacology.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is the most common chronic liver disorder worldwide. It affects roughly one-third of adults and is closely associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure. Although lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise remain key to managing the disease, maintaining those changes can be difficult, and few approved medications currently exist.
If diagnosed at early stage, it can be reversed. If MASLD becomes chronic, it is usually managed with lifestyle changes and treatment of related conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol.
“Our study identifies a completely new way in which the non-psychoactive cannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) protect the liver,” Tam told The Press Service of Israel. “Rather than acting through classical cannabinoid receptors, they reprogram cellular metabolism, boosting the liver’s energy reserves through phosphocreatine buffering and reviving the lysosomal system responsible for clearing accumulated fats.”
He added that the mechanism addresses two core problems seen in metabolic liver disease. “This dual mechanism addresses two fundamental defects in metabolic liver disease: inefficient energy handling and impaired lipid clearance,” Tam explained.
One of the study’s key findings involved phosphocreatine, a molecule that acts as a rapid energy reserve inside cells. Researchers found that CBD and CBG increased phosphocreatine levels in the liver, effectively creating a “backup battery” that helps the organ maintain stable energy levels when under stress from a high-fat diet.
The compounds also restored the activity of enzymes known as cathepsins inside lysosomes, structures within cells responsible for breaking down waste and recycling cellular material. When this system functions properly, the liver can more effectively clear excess fats and harmful byproducts.
The treatments significantly reduced several dangerous lipids in the liver, including triglycerides and ceramides. Ceramides are known to contribute to insulin resistance and liver inflammation, making their reduction particularly important for metabolic health.
Both compounds also improved the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and process glucose. However, the researchers observed some differences between the two. CBG appeared to have a stronger impact on certain metabolic markers, including reducing body fat mass, improving insulin sensitivity, and lowering total and LDL cholesterol.
Tam told TPS-IL that the metabolic mechanism discovered in the study could have implications beyond liver disease.
“Energy imbalance and lysosomal dysfunction are major features of diabetes, obesity, and several cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases,” he said. “By improving cellular energy buffering and lipid turnover, the mechanism we uncovered could theoretically help restore metabolic flexibility across multiple tissues.”
The compounds themselves are already known and widely studied, but translating the discovery into medical treatments will require additional work.
“CBD and CBG are already available as purified, non-psychoactive natural compounds, but their medical value depends on developing standardized, pharmaceutical-grade formulations,” Tam told TPS-IL. “Our findings suggest these compounds, or optimized derivatives, could form the basis of safe therapies for metabolic liver disease.”
The research team plans to move toward studies to test whether the same mechanisms operate in the human liver.
“We plan to move from preclinical models toward translational studies that verify whether similar pathways operate in the human liver,” Tam said.
Tam added that the intellectual property surrounding the discovery is already moving toward commercialization. A patent application covering the use of CBD and CBG for metabolic conditions has been filed and licensed through Yissum, the Hebrew University’s technology transfer company, to Carmen’s Biopharma, a U.S.-based biotechnology firm working to advance the research toward clinical use.
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