THC Combined with Anti-Inflammatory Drug Shows Promise in Alzheimer’s Prevention

New research from the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Long School of Medicine has revealed that THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, could potentially prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease when combined with the anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib.

The groundbreaking study, published in the journal Aging and Disease, found that pairing low-dose THC extract with celecoxib—a selective COX-2 inhibitor commonly prescribed for arthritis and pain—produced significant cognitive benefits without the negative side effects typically associated with THC alone.

Researchers administered the combination treatment to mice daily for 30 days before the development of memory symptoms to measure its preventative effects against Alzheimer’s disease. The results were promising, showing improved cognition, learning, and memory functions in the test subjects.

“What really mattered was behavior. If cognition is not improved, then the treatment doesn’t matter. And that’s where the combination clearly worked better than THC alone,” explained lead study author Chu Chen, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology at UT Health.

While previous research has established THC’s anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, it has also been linked to negative effects on brain function, particularly in areas related to learning and memory. The new study demonstrates that combining THC with celecoxib appears to preserve the beneficial effects while minimizing the drawbacks.

The research team observed that the drug combination decreased markers of neuroinflammation and reduced Alzheimer’s-related brain pathology. Although THC alone showed similar benefits, it also increased inflammatory signals—an effect not seen with the combination therapy.

Chen’s years of research led to a critical insight about THC’s effects on the brain. “When THC is given, it unexpectedly increases COX-2 in the brain. That increase is closely associated with learning and memory impairment,” he said. By pairing THC with celecoxib, which inhibits COX-2, researchers were able to counteract this negative effect.

The study’s findings are particularly significant because both THC and celecoxib are already FDA-approved for human use, potentially accelerating the path to clinical trials. The research team plans to conduct future studies to determine whether the drug combination can slow disease progression or reverse cognitive deficits after symptoms have appeared.

Neurological experts not involved in the research have expressed optimism about the findings. Dr. Paul Saphier, a neurosurgeon and founder of Coaxial Neurosurgical Specialists in New Jersey, called this research an “exciting breakthrough with a huge potential impact for patients and their families.”

“Neurocognitive deterioration has been linked to conditions that cause inflammation within the brain—prior brain bleeds, strokes, tumors and infections,” Saphier explained. “We also know that the buildup of the plaques related to Alzheimer’s [beta-amyloid plaques] are the result of chronic inflammation. So, it makes sense that this combination therapy might help limit the production of this amyloid and thereby reduce the progression of the disease.”

With Alzheimer’s disease affecting millions worldwide and limited effective treatments available, this research represents a potential new direction in prevention and treatment strategies. The approach of targeting neuroinflammation through this drug combination could open new avenues for addressing the underlying mechanisms of cognitive decline.

“This work has taken many years. But now we’re at a point where basic neuroscience discoveries are pointing toward something that could realistically move into the clinic,” Chen said, emphasizing the translational potential of the research.

As the global population ages and Alzheimer’s cases continue to rise, innovations in prevention strategies become increasingly vital. If clinical trials prove successful, this THC-celecoxib combination could potentially offer a new option for those at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, particularly given that both components are already approved medications with established safety profiles.