title: Curcumin suppresses cell proliferation through inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in medulloblastoma.
abstract: Recently, the survival rate of medulloblastoma patients has greatly improved; yet, patients undergoing current treatment regimes suffer from serious therapy-related side-effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anticancer effects of curcumin on medulloblastoma cells by testing its capacity to suppress proliferation and regulate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In the present study, cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay. Cell cycle was observed by flow cytometry. The changes in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway were analyzed by immunofluorescence, western blot analysis and RT-PCR. Curcumin treatment resulted in a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of proliferation in the medulloblastoma cell line. Curcumin treatment arrested the cell-cycle at the G2/M phase. Furthermore, curcumin treatment led to activation of GSK-3β, reduced expression of β-catenin and its downstream target cyclin D1. The attenuation of the Wnt/β‑catenin pathway was due to the loss of nuclear β-catenin. In conclusion, curcumin can inhibit cell growth by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, and it has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent for medulloblastoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Misi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Insititute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Longjiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Experimental and Teaching Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Experimental and Teaching Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiuwu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ho-Keung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003474:Curcumin