Doctoral thesis defense in ” Molecular and Computational Biology ” by Mr. Cromwel TEPAP ZEMNOU

The Euromed University of Fes (UEMF) is pleased to inform the public of the Doctoral Thesis Defense in “Molecular and Computational Biology” by Mr. Cromwel TEPAP ZEMNOU.

The thesis defense will take place on June 17, 2026 at 2:00 PM at UEMF.

• Presented by: Mr. Cromwel TEPAP ZEMNOU
• Location: The Great Hall of the Incubator (LOC001994)
• Topic: ' INVESTIGATION OF STRUCTURAL, FUNCTIONAL AND DYNAMICS PROPERTIES CHANGES IN THCA SYNTHASE ENZYME UPON MUTATIONS AND THE ANTI-CANCER POTENTIAL OF CANNABIS SATIVA COMPONENTS TARGETING HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL LINES: AN INTEGRATED IN SILICO AND IN VITRO STUDY. '

Summary

Cannabis sativa is a rich source of bioactive compounds of growing interest in oncology for their therapeutic potential. However, the mechanisms of cannabinoid anticancer activity and enzyme dynamics in biosynthesis remain poorly understood. This thesis integrates computational and experimental approaches to study THCA synthase mutations and assess the anticancer potential of Cannabis sativa compounds, including cannabinoids and myrcene.

The study addressed three objectives: assessing the structural and functional impact of THCA synthase mutations, evaluating cannabinoids as potential inhibitors of G6PD enzyme, and investigating the antiproliferative and antimigratory effects of myrcene in HNSCC.

Molecular docking and dynamics analyses showed that THCA synthase mutations influenced protein stability and ligand binding, with QID40699 and UQK57955 variants displaying improved stability and binding affinity. Cannabinoids such as THCV, THCA, and CBCA demonstrated strong interactions with G6PD, suggesting potential inhibitory effects on cancer-associated metabolic pathways. Network pharmacology and docking analyses identified multiple cancer-related targets of myrcene.

In vitro assays using HNSCC cell lines confirmed significant cytotoxic and antimigratory effects of myrcene.

Overall, the findings highlight the therapeutic potential of Cannabis sativa-derived compounds and support the relevance of THCA synthase engineering for enhanced cannabinoid production. This work provides a foundation for future mechanistic studies, preclinical validation, and the development of cannabinoid-based strategies targeting metabolic pathways in head and neck cancers.

This thesis will be presented to the jury members

Full Name	Grade	Institution	Quality
Prof. NEJJARI Chakib	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fes	Jury Chair
Prof. BADOU Abdallah	Full Professor	Hassan II University	Reviewer
Prof. EL BRAHMI Nabil	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fes	Reviewer
Prof. OUAMMOU Abdelkrim	Full Professor	Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University	Reviewer
Prof. SENDIDE Khalid	Full Professor	Al Akhawayn University	Examiner
Prof. EL KAZZOULI Said	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fes	Examiner
Prof. BOUNOU Salim	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fes	Thesis Director
Prof. ANISSI Jaouad	Associate Professor	Euromed University of Fes	Thesis Co-Director