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Protein / target

Cannabinoid receptor 1

Encoded byCNR1P21554Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
4
Approved medicines
Open Targets target-level
View by indication →
30
Clinical trials
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Approved Drug

Protein at a glance

Biological role

G protein-coupled receptor

Primary biology

GPCR signalling

Strongest disease association

Obesity disorder

Via encoding gene CNR1 · Genetic literature evidence · score 0.30

Therapeutic position

Established drug target

Small molecules and antibodies

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

G protein-coupled receptor for endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs), including N-arachidonoylethanolamide (also called anandamide or AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), as well as phytocannabinoids, such as delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

View complete UniProt function annotation

G protein-coupled receptor for endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs), including N-arachidonoylethanolamide (also called anandamide or AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), as well as phytocannabinoids, such as delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (PubMed:15620723, PubMed:27768894, PubMed:27851727, PubMed:35637350). Mediates many cannabinoid-induced effects, acting, among others, on food intake, memory loss, gastrointestinal motility, catalepsy, ambulatory activity, anxiety, chronic pain. Signaling typically involves reduction in cyclic AMP (PubMed:1718258, PubMed:21895628, PubMed:27768894). In the hypothalamus, may have a dual effect on mitochondrial respiration depending upon the agonist dose and possibly upon the cell type. Increases respiration at low doses, while decreases respiration at high doses. At high doses, CNR1 signal transduction involves G protein alpha-i protein activation and subsequent inhibition of mitochondrial soluble adenylate cyclase, decrease in cyclic AMP concentration, inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation of specific subunits of the mitochondrial electron transport system, including NDUFS2. In the hypothalamus, inhibits leptin-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and mediates cannabinoid-induced increase in SREBF1 and FASN gene expression. In response to cannabinoids, drives the release of orexigenic beta-endorphin, but not that of melanocyte-stimulating hormone alpha/alpha-MSH, from hypothalamic POMC neurons, hence promoting food intake. In the hippocampus, regulates cellular respiration and energy production in response to cannabinoids. Involved in cannabinoid-dependent depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI), a process in which depolarization of CA1 postsynaptic pyramidal neurons mobilizes eCBs, which retrogradely activate presynaptic CB1 receptors, transiently decreasing GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission. Also reduces excitatory synaptic transmission (By similarity). In superior cervical ganglions and cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells, inhibits voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels in a constitutive, as well as agonist-dependent manner (PubMed:17895407). In cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells, cannabinoid-induced inhibition of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels leads to vasodilation and decreased vascular tone (By similarity). Induces leptin production in adipocytes and reduces LRP2-mediated leptin clearance in the kidney, hence participating in hyperleptinemia. In adipose tissue, CNR1 signaling leads to increased expression of SREBF1, ACACA and FASN genes (By similarity). In the liver, activation by endocannabinoids leads to increased de novo lipogenesis and reduced fatty acid catabolism, associated with increased expression of SREBF1/SREBP-1, GCK, ACACA, ACACB and FASN genes. May also affect de novo cholesterol synthesis and HDL-cholesteryl ether uptake. Peripherally modulates energy metabolism (By similarity). In high carbohydrate diet-induced obesity, may decrease the expression of mitochondrial dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase/DLD in striated muscles, as well as that of selected glucose/ pyruvate metabolic enzymes, hence affecting energy expenditure through mitochondrial metabolism (By similarity). In response to cannabinoid anandamide, elicits a pro-inflammatory response in macrophages, which involves NLRP3 inflammasome activation and IL1B and IL18 secretion (By similarity). In macrophages infiltrating pancreatic islets, this process may participate in the progression of type-2 diabetes and associated loss of pancreatic beta-cells (PubMed:23955712)

Subcellular location

Cell membraneMembrane raftMitochondrion outer membraneCell projection, axonPresynapse
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (17)

Gene Ontology

  • Ccytoplasm
  • CGABA-ergic synapse
  • Cglutamatergic synapse
  • Cgrowth cone
  • Cmembrane raft
  • Cmitochondrial outer membrane
  • Cplasma membrane
  • Cpresynaptic membrane
  • Fcannabinoid receptor activity
  • FG protein-coupled receptor activity
  • Fidentical protein binding
  • Padenylate cyclase-activating G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway

472 aa · 53 kDa · 3 isoforms

Biological roles

Reactome v97

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Inhibitory neurotransmissionUniProt · GOExcitatory neurotransmissionUniProt · GOLipid & lipoprotein metabolismUniProtG protein-coupled signallingUniProt · GO
View supporting evidence

Inhibitory neurotransmission

  • ·G protein-coupled receptor for endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs), including N-arachidonoyle…
  • ·GABA-ergic synapse

Excitatory neurotransmission

  • ·G protein-coupled receptor for endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs), including N-arachidonoyle…
  • ·glutamatergic synapse

Lipid & lipoprotein metabolism

  • ·G protein-coupled receptor for endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs), including N-arachidonoyle…

G protein-coupled signalling

  • ·G protein-coupled receptor for endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs), including N-arachidonoyle…
  • ·G protein-coupled receptor activity
  • ·adenylate cyclase-activating G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway
  • ·adenylate cyclase-modulating G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway
View underlying pathways (2)

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Interaction neighbourhood

STRING v12.0

Proteins with the strongest functional or physical association. Node size and line weight reflect STRING confidence; hover or select a partner to inspect one association.

GNAI1GNAI2DRD2GPR55CNR2FAAHADORA2AGNB1MGLLGNG2CNR1

10 strongest partners — larger node and heavier line mean higher confidence

Functional and physical associations from STRING v12.0. Only associations with this protein are drawn — partner-to-partner links are not part of this evidence.

Approved medicines with mapped indications

3 medicines · 9 areas

Approved therapies targeting this protein, grouped by what they are approved to treat — the disease-first view of the medicines below. Relationships come from the canonical approved-indication graph (ChEMBL phase-4), the same source as the drug cards.

Anorexia1 medicine
Epilepsies, Myoclonic1 medicine
Epilepsy1 medicine
Nausea1 medicine
Obesity1 medicine
Seizures1 medicine
Tuberous Sclerosis1 medicine
Vomiting1 medicine
Broader indication categories (1)
Neoplasms1 medicine

Broad umbrella indications (e.g. “Neoplasms”). Shown here because every medicine also appears under a more specific disease above — kept for completeness, de-emphasised for clarity.

4 medicines meet Open Targets' target-level approved-medicine definition; the 3 shown here are those on this page with a canonical approved disease indication in the graph. Approved indications from ChEMBL (phase-4), via the canonical drug→disease graph.

Drugs targeting this protein

3

How approved and investigational drugs engage this protein — mechanism and action type, direct vs complex targeting, and how broadly each acts across other targets. A drug-first view (the section above groups the approved ones disease-first); direct binders with few recorded targets are listed first.

Cannabidiol
Narrow target profileApprovedNegative allosteric modulator

Cannabinoid CB1 receptor negative allosteric modulator

Indicated for Epilepsies, Myoclonic, Epilepsy, Seizures, Tuberous Sclerosis

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

Dronabinol
Narrow target profileApprovedAgonist

Cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist

Indicated for Anorexia, Nausea, Vomiting, Neoplasms

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

rimonabant
Narrow target profileApprovedAntagonist

Cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist

Indicated for Obesity

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

ChEMBL mechanism, action type, target identity and approved indications. Open Targets clinical status.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene CNR1

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene CNR1that encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

Obesity disorder
0.80Well supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.63

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
0.70Moderately supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.57

Epilepsy
0.67Moderately supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.54

Epilepsies, Myoclonic
0.67Moderately supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.54

Encephalopathy, progressive, early-onset, with brain edema and/or leukoencephalopathy
0.66Moderately supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.53

View evidence synthesis (5)
Obesity disorderWell supported
0.80
agreement 0.690.92
Clinical66%Genetic literature23%Literature11%

Open Targets aggregate 0.63 · 3 independent evidence families

Lennox-Gastaut syndromeModerately supported
0.70
agreement 0.550.85
Clinical99%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.57 · 2 independent evidence families

EpilepsyModerately supported
0.67
agreement 0.510.82
Clinical93%Literature7%

Open Targets aggregate 0.54 · 2 independent evidence families

Epilepsies, MyoclonicModerately supported
0.67
agreement 0.510.82
Clinical93%Literature7%

Open Targets aggregate 0.54 · 2 independent evidence families

Encephalopathy, progressive, early-onset, with brain edema and/or leukoencephalopathyModerately supported
0.66
agreement 0.500.81
Clinical100%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.53 · 2 independent evidence families

The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
Obesity disorder0.63
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome0.57
Epilepsy0.54
Epilepsies, Myoclonic0.54
Encephalopathy, progressive, early-onset, with brain edema and/or leukoencephalopathy0.53
Neoplasms0.50

Drug development

12 compounds recorded · 4 approved · 8 in clinical development

Open Targets' development universe — every compound recorded against the target at any stage, not all approved medicines. Distinct from the 3 drugs that target this protein in Forefront's canonical graph (3 with a mapped approved indication, shown above): these count different sets and are not a subset relation.

View all recorded compounds (10)
OTENABANTPhase 3
AZD2207Phase 2
SAD448Phase 1
TARANABANTPhase 3
DRINABANTPhase 2
IBIPINABANTPhase 2 3
DRONABINOLApproval
NIMACIMABPhase 2
CANNABIDIOLApproval
SURINABANTPhase 2

Open Targets known-drugs universe. Drug name and highest clinical stage only — the disease relationship is NOT read from this slice (it carries trial-context noise); approved indications come from the canonical graph above.

Tractability

Small moleculesStrong

Approved Drug and Structure with Ligand support this modality.

AntibodiesStrong

Advanced Clinical and UniProt loc high conf support this modality.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (half-life data and small molecule binder) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

View underlying tractability evidence (11)
SM · Approved DrugSM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · Druggable FamilyAB · Advanced ClinicalAB · UniProt loc high confAB · GO CC high confAB · UniProt SigP or TMHMMAB · Human Protein Atlas locPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule Binder

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Safety-related annotations

decreased blood pressureLynch et al. (2017)catalepsyLynch et al. (2017)dysphoriaBowes et al. (2012)headacheLynch et al. (2017)hallucinationsLynch et al. (2017)decreased painLynch et al. (2017)nervousnessLynch et al. (2017)poor concentrationBowes et al. (2012)weight gainClinPGxanalgesiaBowes et al. (2012)decreased heart rateLynch et al. (2017)decreased body temperatureLynch et al. (2017)

Terms indexed against this target in Open Targets' safety data, with their datasource. These are annotations, not causal claims: the direction of effect (whether activation or inhibition is implicated), species and evidence strength are not captured here, so an entry does not mean that modulating this target is known to cause that condition.

Clinical trials

30

Trials of drugs that target this protein — reached indirectly through those drugs, so a trial listed here studies the drug, not the protein. Ranked by active status, then clinical phase and recency, and spread across the targeting drugs.

View all trials (26)

RECRUITING · via Cannabidiol · NCT05613608

NOT_YET_RECRUITING · via Dronabinol · NCT07296874

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · via Dronabinol · NCT06261489

RECRUITING · via Dronabinol · NCT06647524

RECRUITING · via Cannabidiol · NCT06218056

RECRUITING · via Cannabidiol · NCT06477406

RECRUITING · via Cannabidiol · NCT06014424

RECRUITING · via Cannabidiol · NCT05066308

ClinicalTrials.gov via the drug-target graph.

What's happening now

12

Recent therapeutic activity around this target — regulatory actions, clinical trials and safety signals for 2 drugs that target this protein, plus publications where such a drug is a genuine subject. Every item is reached indirectly through the drug, not the protein itself; incidental mentions (a paper that merely measures a drug) and press items are excluded.

  1. Label change2026-06-05

    Label change: CANNABIDIOL (NDA210365)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via Cannabidiol

  2. Label change2026-06-05

    Label change: CANNABIDIOL (NDA210365)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via Cannabidiol

  3. Label change2026-06-05

    Label change: CANNABIDIOL (NDA210365)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via Cannabidiol

  4. Label change2025-06-26

    Label change: CANNABIDIOL (NDA210365)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via Cannabidiol

  5. New publication2024-05-29
    Presynaptic nanoscale components of retrograde synaptic signaling.

    Science advances · 2024 · 11 citations · Europe PMC · via Dronabinol

  6. New publication2024-03-13
    Therapeutic applicability of cannabidiol and other phytocannabinoids in epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease and in comorbidity with psychiatric disorders.

    Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology · 2024 · 10 citations · Europe PMC · via Cannabidiol

  7. Label change2024-03-04

    Label change: CANNABIDIOL (NDA210365)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via Cannabidiol

  8. New publication2024-01-24
    Cannabidiol and its Potential Evidence-Based Psychiatric Benefits - A Critical Review.

    Pharmacopsychiatry · 2024 · 14 citations · Europe PMC · via Cannabidiol

  9. Indication expanded2023-10-20

    Indication expansion: CANNABIDIOL (NDA210365)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via Cannabidiol

  10. New publication2023-10-12
    Emerging Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Neurological Disorders: A Comprehensive Review.

    Behavioural neurology · 2023 · 37 citations · Europe PMC · via Cannabidiol

  11. Label change2022-02-24

    Label change: CANNABIDIOL (NDA210365)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via Cannabidiol

  12. Supplemental approval2021-08-26

    Supplemental approval: CANNABIDIOL (NDA210365)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via Cannabidiol

Objective event titles are shown unmodified; the event kind and significance line are derived from structured fields. Forefront AttentionEvent stream aggregating Europe PMC Regulatory filings ClinicalTrials.gov.