Curcumin and cancer
Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has been traditionally used in Asian cuisine and medicine and is recognized for its potential health benefits, particularly in cancer prevention and treatment. As a polyphenol, curcumin exhibits antioxidant properties that help neutralize free radicals, which can cause tissue damage. Research has shown that curcumin may inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors in various animal studies and has been investigated in clinical trials for its effectiveness against several types of cancer, including breast cancer, colon cancer, and metastatic melanoma.
While some studies indicate that curcumin might enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and reduce the spread of cancer cells, other recent analyses suggest it may not prevent disease progression in advanced cases. Curcumin's multifaceted mechanisms of action involve targeting various proteins and signaling pathways linked to cancer cell proliferation and survival. Despite its potential as a supplementary treatment in early-stage cancers, high doses can lead to side effects, such as ulcers or increased bleeding risks when combined with certain medications. Continued research is necessary to fully understand curcumin's role and effectiveness in cancer treatment.
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Subject Terms
Curcumin and cancer
ALSO KNOWN AS: Diferuloylmethane
DEFINITION: Curcumin is the active principle of turmeric, used as a common food additive in Asian cooking. It has been used for many centuries in ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic medical treatments. Curcumin was selected, along with other promising diet-derived compounds, for testing as a chemopreventive agent for cancer targets by the US National Cancer Institute's Chemopreventive Agent Development Research Group.
Cancers treated or prevented: Supplemental treatment for chemical carcinogenesis caused by pesticides, breast cancer, metastatic melanoma, lymphoma
Delivery routes: Oral by capsule
How this substance works: Curcumin is the active component of turmeric, a spice common in various Asian cuisines. Turmeric is a yellow powder obtained from the dried rhizomes of a flowering plant belonging to the ginger family. Curcumin is present in turmeric, along with related yellow compounds called curcuminoids. It belongs to a chemical family of compounds known as polyphenols, which are antioxidants that destroy harmful tissue-damaging substances called free radicals.
Curcumin has been reported to possess a wide range of medicinal properties, including the ability to inhibit cancerous tumors in the breast, colon, head, neck, and skin in mice, rats, guinea pigs, and hamsters. From 2001 to 2007, curcumin was investigated for the prevention of colon cancer in a National Cancer Institute (NCI)–sponsored phase I clinical trial at the University of Michigan Cancer Center. A 2005 study by the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reported that it suppressed the negative effects of Taxol (paclitaxel), a breast cancer drug that can cause breast cancer cells to spread, and a 2011 study by the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) revealed that it inhibited one of the cell-signaling pathways involved in head and neck cancers. Additional clinical trials by the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center tested curcumin against multiple myeloma (2004–9) and advanced pancreatic cancer (2004–14). Based on experimental findings, it was postulated to enhance the detoxification of carcinogens such as dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and dioxins by blocking their access to cells.
Curcumin is believed to inhibit cancerous cell growth by binding to a number of different proteins that are involved in cell signaling, including transcription factors, growth factors, cytokines, and kinases. This allows it to both block the cell-signaling pathways that drive cell proliferation and activate the pathways that initiate apoptosis, or preprogrammed cell death. Curcumin's multiple modes of action are what made it such a promising treatment for numerous types of cancer.
In the twenty-first century, additional research into curcumin's anti-cancer properties was conducted. In 2023, researchers analyzed over one hundred academic papers based on studies of curcumin and cancer conducted between 2016 and 2023. Researchers chose only studies with randomized control trials and looked at several types of cancer. While researchers found curcumin safe and suggested it may be a beneficial adjunct treatment in early-stage cancers, they found it ineffective in stopping disease progression in the types of cancer studied. Further clinical research and trials were suggested.
Side effects: Ingesting large quantities of curcumin can cause ulcers. When used in conjunction with anticoagulants and thrombolytic agents, curcumin could enhance their activity and increase the risk of bleeding.
Bibliography
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