- Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 100 compounds found in the cannabis plant.
- Past studies show that CBD may aid with inflammation within the body and also has antioxidant properties.
- A new study in mice found that CBD may also be used to treat neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of
Past studies show that CBD may aid with inflammation control, and that it has antioxidant properties.
Previous research has also examined CBD as a potential treatment for a variety of health conditions, including epileptic seizures,
Now, a new study published in the journal eNeuro presents preliminary evidence suggesting CBD could also be used to treat neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers found this connection via a mouse model.
For this study, researchers used a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease to study how CBD might impact neuroinflammation associated with the condition.
“Our group has been studying the therapeutic potential of CBD for several years and has shown that inhaled CBD offers superior efficacy compared to oral or injected forms in conditions such as epilepsy, glioblastoma, and migraine,” Babak Baban, PhD, MPH, MBA, professor of immunology and associate dean for research at Augusta University in Georgia, with joint appointments in neurology and surgery at the Medical College of Georgia, and in oral biology at the Dental College of Georgia, lead author of this study, told Medical News Today.
“Given these findings, we were motivated to examine whether CBD could also help reduce neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease,” Baban explained.
“Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the most devastating and complex neurodegenerative disorders, and decades of research focusing mainly on
“We now understand that Alzheimer’s is not driven by a single mechanism, but by multiple, interacting biological processes, including chronic inflammation. Exploring new therapeutic pathways is essential because it opens possibilities beyond traditional amyloid- or tau-centered strategies and moves us closer to addressing the disease’s root causes.”
— Babak Baban, PhD, MPH, MBA
At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that the use of inhaled CBD helped to reduce the production of key neuroinflammation regulators in the Alzheimer’s disease mouse model, helping to lower the amount of pro-inflammatory molecules.
“This finding is important because it shows that CBD can calm two major immune ‘alarm’ pathways, IDO (Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase) and
“By reducing the activation of these pathways, CBD effectively lowered inflammatory cytokines and helped restore a Healthier immune balance in the brain. This represents a shift from simply treating symptoms to targeting the underlying immune dysfunction that accelerates disease progression.”
— Babak Baban, PhD, MPH, MBA
“The key message is that Alzheimer’s may be, at its core, an auto-inflammatory disorder — and that CBD can calm two critical immune pathways that drive this inflammation,” Baban continued. “This dual discovery not only reframes how we think about Alzheimer’s but also identifies a new therapeutic approach that goes beyond amyloid and tau.”
“We are now preparing for translational studies to evaluate the effects of inhaled CBD in human subjects with Alzheimer’s disease,” said the study author. “Our group currently holds an active IND (Investigational New Drug) application with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for CBD inhalation therapy in neuroinflammatory conditions, and Alzheimer’s disease is a natural next target. These studies will allow us to confirm safety, dosing, and immune pathway modulation in clinical settings.”
MNT had the opportunity to speak with Megan Glenn, PsyD, clinical neuropsychologist in the Center for Memory and Healthy Aging at Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in New Jersey, about this research.
Glenn, who was not involved in the study, commented that her first reaction to its results was hopeful because this research seriously targets inflammation, moving beyond the limited amyloid hypothesis.
“We know amyloid-clearing drugs don’t reverse existing damage, so what’s most compelling here is the direct link between the mechanism — targeting the IDO and cGAS pathways — and a clear functional outcome: Better memory and less anxiety in the mice,” she explained. “That connection is what makes this study so significant, even at this early stage.”
Glenn said it is critically important for researchers to continue to find new ways of treating Alzheimer’s disease because it is a complex, multifactorial disease, and a single-target approach has proven insufficient.
“Current therapies do not cure the disease or reverse cognitive loss,” she continued. “I have patients, and we see people in studies, who have brains full of amyloid but are cognitively sharp as a tack and never go on to develop dementia.“
“This tells us that amyloid is not the whole story. We must investigate all potential drivers — including neuroinflammation, genetic predispositions, and vascular factors — to develop a multi-pronged therapeutic strategy that can more effectively attack the disease from different angles.”
— Megan Glenn, PsyD
MNT also spoke with Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, about this study.
Segil, who was likewise not involved in the research, commented that the idea that CBD can be therapeutic for any neurological conditions remains controversial and unproven in 2025.
“Though this study claims CBD has anti-inflammatory properties in mice, any proposition that using CBD in humans at any dose, could decrease cognitive complaints or improve Alzheimer’s dementia symptoms is challenging to agree with,” he told us.
Segil cast further doubt on whether future studies on the use of CBD in Alzheimer’s therapy could uncover promising results.
He noted that he would not recommend CBD to older patients, as this substance has been linked to cognitive issues in some studies.
“Future [CBD] research should [much rather] focus on its claimed anti-inflammatory properties for medical conditions like arthritis or
