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Soo Park, MD
Soo Park, MD
Posted: Friday, June 6, 2025
A topically applied nanoencapsulated cannabidiol (CBD) cream demonstrated the ability to reduce damage from UV-A radiation exposure, according to the results of a pilot study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
UV-A radiation is known to effect photoaging and photocarcinogenesis via inflammation and oxidative damage, but current photoprotective strategies only include UV-A filters. Cannabidiols have been considered as a novel strategy for combating symptoms of UV-A exposure due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
“To our knowledge, this trial is the first to identify UV-protective capacity of CBD-containing topicals in humans,” the study authors, led by Erika McCormick, MD, of the Department of Dermatology at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, noted.
Investigators conducted a prospective, single-center, pilot study of nano-CBD or vehicle cream to determine each formula’s potential for preventing radiation exposure damage. Nineteen patients applied either cream to randomized, blinded buttock sites twice daily for 14 days and were then exposed to minimal UV-A radiation. Punch biopsies were taken 24 hours after.
Twenty-one percent of the study participants demonstrated less erythema on the CBD-treated skin than on the vehicle control–treated skin. Less UV-A–induced epidermal hyperplasia was observed on CBD-treated skin than on the vehicle control–treated skin (P = .01). Reduced cytoplasmic/nuclear 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 staining on immunohistochemistry was also reported with the investigational cream vs the control (P < .01). The CBD cream also led to reduced mitochondrial DNA mutations than the standard cream, according to quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction testing, including the ND4 gene—"a gene within the ‘CD,’ according to the study authors and the ND1 gene, “a gene within the 3895 bp deletion.” The study authors wrote, “The ‘CD’ is associated with chronic UV exposure and skin photoaging and has been identified in multiple cancers, including skin cancer. Multiple studies have demonstrated that the 3895 bp deletion increases with sun exposure; it has been suggested that increases beyond a certain threshold qualify the deletion as a predictor of nonmelanoma skin cancer risk.”
Overall, the nanoencapsulated CBD cream reduced the expression of two genomic deletions that have been proposed as biomarkers for UV exposure, photoaging, and cancer risk. These findings are promising but require further study in a larger patient population.
Disclosure: Funding for the study was provided by Mino Labs. For full disclosures of the study authors, visit jaad.org.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
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