Curcumin Targets Circulating Cancer Stem Cells by Inhibiting Self-Renewal Efficacy in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The ultimate goal of the study was to find a role of curcumin in targeting lung cancer stem cells by reducing their self-renewal efficiency causing DNA damage.


METHODS
Circulating lung cancer stem cells were isolated by sphere formation assay and further analysed by flow-cytometry and qRT-PCR for the presence of stem cell and stem cell transcription markers. The IC50 values of gemcitabine and curcumin were analysed by MTT assay, while curcumin induced DNA damage was scrutinized by single cell gel electrophoresis assay.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated that curcumin significantly affect the self-renewal ability of circulating lung cancer stem cells. The no. of spheres formed in the presence of curcumin was shown to be significantly decreased. Additionally, our results depicted that 4.52±0.72 % and 95.47±0.72 % (p &lt; 0.0001) of DNA material was found to be present in head and tail, respectively, suggesting curcumin's functional potential to cause DNA damage. Thus, we can conclude that curcumin can be used to target lung cancer stem cells which is responsible for the disease progression and metastasis by causing DNA damage or inhibiting their DNA repair mechanisms.
Department of Life Science, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. India.
Sheefa
S
Mirza
Department of Zoology, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. India.
Aakanksha
A
Vasaiya
Division of Immunohistochemistry & Flow Cytometry, Department of Cancer Biology, The Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. India.
Hemangini
H
Vora
Department of Life Science, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. India.
Nayan
N
Jain
Division of Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacogenomics, Department of Cancer Biology, The Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. India.
Rakesh
R
Rawal
D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004249:DNA Damage; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000187:drug effects*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*
D003474:Curcumin
Cancer stem cells; DNA damage; comet assay; curcumin; lung cancer stem cells; self-renewal