A new Spain research says the active component of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), appears to cause the death of brain cancer cells.

The study released Thursday is based on work on mice in which Spanish scientists first stimulated the growth of cancer in the lab animals, then injected them with a daily dose of THC near the site of their tumors.

They also analyzed the tumors of two patients in an experimental trial looking at the effects of THC on a highly aggressive form of brain tumor, and saw findings "in line with the preclinical evidence" first observed in the laboratory mice.

The authors from the Complutense University in Madrid, working with scientists from other universities, found that THC, causes cancer cells to undergo a process called autophagy -- the breakdown that occurs when the cell essentially self-digests.

The research demonstrates that THC and related "cannabinoids" appear to be "a new family of potential antitumoral agent."

The authors wrote that the chemical may prove useful in the development of future "antitumoral agents."

(Agencies via Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2009)