Congreso Uruguayo en Una Salud - I Jornada Académica del Instituto de Investigación Una Salud

The clinical significance of endocannabinoid receptor expression is highly context-dependent, varying across tumor types and histological subgroups. CB1 and CB2 receptors have been detected in numerous malignancies, with their expression linked to either favorable or unfavorable clinical outcomes depending on tumor-specific pathways. This duality highlights the necessity of characterizing cannabinoid receptor profiles in a tumor-type–specific manner to better understand their prognostic and therapeutic implications.

So, the present study aimed to investigate the expression of CB1 and CB2 receptors in lymph nodes obtained from patients who underwent surgical resection. Lymph nodes were processed as formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples and subsequently analyzed to assess the presence and distribution of cannabinoid receptors. By characterizing the receptor profile in nodal tissue, this research seeks to provide insight into the potential relationship between endocannabinoid activation and metastatic dissemination patterns, thereby exploring its possible role as a prognostic biomarker or therapeutic target.

We analysed preliminary data from 9 patients with metastatic lymph nodes. The immunoexpression pattern (immunostaining area, intensity of immunoexpression, cellular localization) in the lymph nodes cells slides from CB1 and CB2. Figo grades were I, II or III also analysed.

We found the immunoexpression of both receptors CB1 and CB2 in the metastatic lymph nodes.The localization in the nucleus of lymphocytes indicates the DNA regulation reprogramming cells activity. Also, reticular cells and macrophages showed cytoplasmic immunoexpression of both receptors. This initial report presents a qualitative observational assessment based on the preliminary data obtained from the analyzed samples.

These findings represent a crucial first step in understanding the presence and distribution of endocannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 within metastatic lymph nodes in the female patients under study. It is important to note that this current assessment focuses on the qualitative aspects of the immunoexpression in immune cells, providing an overview of the observed patterns and characteristics. A more comprehensive understanding will be achieved with the subsequent quantitative data allowing information to perform specific therapies with cannabinoids.