title: PAMAM dendrimers augment inhibitory effects of curcumin on cancer cell proliferation: possible inhibition of telomerase.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite numerous useful anticancer properties of curcumin, its utility is limited due to its hydrophobic structure. In this study, we investigated the comparative antiproliferative effect of PAMAM encapsulating curcumin with naked curcumin on the T47D breast cancer cell line.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cytotoxic effects of PAMAM dendrimers encapsulating curcumin and curcumin alone were investigated by MTT assay. After treating cells with different concentrations of both curcumin alone and curcumin encapsulated for 24h, telomerase activity was determined by TRAP assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While PAMAM dendrimers encapsulating curcumin had no cytotoxicity on cancer cells, they decreased the IC50 for proliferation and also increased the inhibitory effect on telomerase activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the non-toxicity in addition to effectiveness for enhancing curcumin anticancer properties, dendrimers could be considered good therapeutic vehicles for this hydrophobic agent.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis and Lung Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran E-mail : zarghamin@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mahdie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mollazade
authors.forename: Kazem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nejati-Koshki
authors.forename: Abolfazl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbarzadeh
authors.forename: Nosratollah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zarghami
authors.forename: Marzieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nasiri
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jahanban-Esfahlan
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alibakhshi
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019098:Telomerase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D050091:Dendrimers; C104700:PAMAM Starburst; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase; D003474:Curcumin