title: Curcumin: updated molecular mechanisms and intervention targets in human lung cancer.
abstract: Curcumin, a yellow pigment derived from Curcuma longa Linn, has attracted great interest in the research of cancer during the past decades. Extensive studies documented that curcumin attenuates cancer cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Curcumin has been demonstrated to interact with multiple molecules and signal pathways, which makes it a potential adjuvant anti-cancer agent to chemotherapy. Previous investigations focus on the mechanisms of action for curcumin, which is shown to manipulate transcription factors and induce apoptosis in various kinds of human cancer. Apart from transcription factors and apoptosis, emerging studies shed light on latent targets of curcumin against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), microRNAs (miRNA), autophagy and cancer stem cell. The present review predominantly discusses significance of EGFR, miRNA, autophagy and cancer stem cell in lung cancer therapy. Curcumin as a natural phytochemicals could communicate with these novel targets and show synergism to chemotherapy. Additionally, curcumin is well tolerated in humans. Therefore, EGFR-, miRNA-, autophagy- and cancer stem cell-based therapy in the presence of curcumin might be promising mechanisms and targets in the therapeutic strategy of lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Detection Center of Tumor Biomarker, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 710032 Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Xiang
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, First People's Hospital of Xi'an, 710032 Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 710032 Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Detection Center of Tumor Biomarker, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 710032 Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D035683:MicroRNAs; D014157:Transcription Factors; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D003474:Curcumin