**The Cannabinoid 1 Receptor and Progenitor Cells in the Adult Central Nervous System**

Alexandra Sideris1, Thomas Blanck2 and Esperanza Recio-Pinto3 *1Department of Anesthesiology, 2Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience 3Department of Anesthesiology; Department of Pharmacology New York University Langone Medical Center, New York USA* 

#### **1. Introduction**

98 Pharmacology

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> The aims of this chapter are to: (1) examine the key developments leading up to the discovery the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) and (2) assess the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabinoid drugs with respect to neurogenesis in the adult brain and spinal cord. As one of the most abundant G-protein coupled receptors found in the central nervous system, localization of CB1R and its role in the mature and in the developing brain will be discussed. Pharmacological studies with cannabinergic drugs, and studies utilizing knock-out mice of various endocannabinoid system components will be reviewed in the context of adult brain neurogenesis. The apparent conflicting data reveal the complexity of endocannabinoid signaling in this process. Though many studies have focused on CB1R and neurogenesis in the brain, none have evaluated the potential ability for CB1R to modulate the fate, and specifically neuronal differentiation, of adult spinal cord progenitors. The implications for CB1R modulation of adult neurogenesis are pivotal for understanding the behavioral and cognitive effects of chronic marijuana use, but also for assessing the potential consequences of pharmacotherapeutics with CB1R agonists or antagonists
