Cannabinoids May Communicate Between Brain Cells Via Tiny Vesicles, Opening New Treatment Possibilities

What the researchers found

Emerging evidence indicates a bidirectional relationship: endocannabinoids can be loaded into extracellular vesicles for intercellular signaling, while THC and CBD alter EV release and cargo composition. The authors propose this interplay as a framework for developing biomarker-guided, personalized treatments for depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Why it matters

Neuropsychiatric disorders lack objective biomarkers, making diagnosis and treatment monitoring largely subjective. If extracellular vesicles carry cannabinoid-related biomarkers that reflect brain state, blood-based tests could eventually help personalize treatment for conditions like depression and schizophrenia.

The numbers in context

Review covers evidence across depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases. Discusses both THC and CBD effects on extracellular vesicle biology.

How the study worked

Hypothesis-driven narrative review searching PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science through September 2025. The review focuses on the interface between cannabinoid signaling and extracellular vesicle biology in neuropsychiatric conditions.

What this study cannot tell us

This is a hypothesis-driven review, not a systematic analysis. The proposed framework is largely theoretical and requires extensive experimental validation. The interaction between cannabinoids and extracellular vesicles is still in early stages of research.

How to read the evidence

Hypothesis-driven narrative review synthesizing emerging evidence. The proposed framework is novel but largely theoretical.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

This represents a convergence of two rapidly growing fields: cannabinoid science and extracellular vesicle biology. If the proposed framework holds up, it could transform both how we diagnose neuropsychiatric conditions and how we develop cannabinoid-based treatments.

Questions still open

• Can EV-based biomarkers predict individual responses to cannabinoid therapy? Do chronic cannabis users show altered EV profiles that correlate with psychiatric symptoms?

Common questions

Read the original research

Cannabinoids and Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Hypothesis-Driven Review.

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 18(12)

Citation

Marques, Bruno L; Lirio, Pedro H C; Vicente, Maria A; Unzueta-Larrinaga, Paula; Urigüen, Leyre; Campos, Alline C. (2025). Cannabinoids and Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Hypothesis-Driven Review.. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 18(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18121817

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