Curcumin in cancer management: recent results of analogue design and clinical studies and desirable future research.
The ability of the curry constituent curcumin to delay the onset of cancer has been the topic of extensive research for many years. Abundant literature is devoted to mechanisms by which curcumin may mediate this activity. These insights have prompted investigations in which curcumin as lead molecule serves as a scaffold for synthetic chemical attempts to optimize pharmacological potency. Among the published analogues with notable efficacy are dimethylcurcumin, 1,5-bis(3-pyridyl)-1,4-pentadien-3-one and 3,5-bis-(2-fluorobenzylidene)-piperidinium-4-one acetate. Results of a small number of clinical pilot studies conducted with curcumin at doses of up to 12 g suggest tentatively that it is safe in humans. Prevention of adenoma recurrence constitutes a clinical paradigm worthy of further investigation for curcumin. Future clinical study should include measurement of mechanism-based pharmacodynamic parameters.
Steward
William P
WP
Cancer Biomarkers and Prevention Group, Department of Cancer Studies, University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK.
Gescher
Andreas J
AJ
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D003474:Curcumin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000188:drug therapy; D012016:Reference Values; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003474:Curcumin