The effects of cannabinoid agonists and antagonists on the CB2 receptor promoter

The CB2 receptor is one of two identified receptors in the endocannabinoid system activated by exogenous or endogenous cannabinoid substances. This system is a target for a variety of drug candidates due to its many physiological roles and the location of receptors in both the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. In order to achieve different effects, drug candidates can be either agonists or antagonists of cannabinoid substances. This research sought to optimize the amounts of DNA, cells, and lipofectamine for use in transfections in the 96-well format. RAW 264. 7 macrophage cells were transfected with purified recombinant DNA containing sections of the CB2 promoter gene and luciferase assays were run to quantify results. The results showed no distinguishable promoter activity which suggests that future lab work will continue in order to find the optimal values of each substance for use in transfections in 96-well plates. After optimization is achieved, future studies will examine the effects of cannabinoid agonists and antagonists on lab-made constructs of the CB2 receptor promoter