Endocannabinoid Biology3 Active Trials

Vincenzo Di Marzo, PhD

Canada Excellence Research Chair in Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Interactions; Director, Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec

Université Laval · Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

h-index 112

62,000+ citations

620+ publications

3 active trials

PubMed Profile ORCID

Biography

Vincenzo Di Marzo is one of the most prolific and cited researchers in cannabinoid science, with over 600 publications and more than 60,000 citations. He is best known for co-discovering 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), the most abundant endocannabinoid in the brain, and for his extensive work on the role of the endocannabinoid system in metabolic disease, obesity, and the gut microbiome. Di Marzo holds the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Interactions at Université Laval.

Key Contributions

1Co-discovered 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), the most abundant brain endocannabinoid
2Characterized the role of the endocannabinoid system in obesity and metabolic syndrome
3Developed the concept of the "endocannabinoidome" — the expanded family of endocannabinoid-related lipid mediators
4Demonstrated the gut microbiome-endocannabinoid axis in metabolic disease
5Authored over 600 peer-reviewed publications with 60,000+ citations

Selected Publications

Isolation and structure of a brain constituent that binds to the cannabinoid receptor

4,821 citations

Science · 1992

Co-authored with Raphael Mechoulam, this landmark paper reported the isolation and characterization of anandamide, the first endogenous cannabinoid ligand.

DOI: 10.1126/science.1470919

The endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic exploitation

3,241 citations

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery · 2004

Comprehensive review of the endocannabinoid system as a therapeutic target, covering receptor pharmacology, endocannabinoid biochemistry, and drug development opportunities.

DOI: 10.1038/nrd1495

View all publications on PubMed