Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin for the Treatment of Brain Tumors.
Brain malignancies currently carry a poor prognosis despite the current multimodal standard of care that includes surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. As new therapies are desperately needed, naturally occurring chemical compounds have been studied for their potential chemotherapeutic benefits and low toxicity profile. Curcumin, found in the rhizome of turmeric, has extensive therapeutic promise via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative properties. Preclinicalin vitroandin vivodata have shown it to be an effective treatment for brain tumors including glioblastoma multiforme. These effects are potentiated by curcumin's ability to induce G2/M cell cycle arrest, activation of apoptotic pathways, induction of autophagy, disruption of molecular signaling, inhibition of invasion, and metastasis and by increasing the efficacy of existing chemotherapeutics. Further, clinical data suggest that it has low toxicity in humans even at large doses. Curcumin is a promising nutraceutical compound that should be evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of human brain tumors.
Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
Neil V
NV
Klinger
Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
Sandeep
0000-0001-6435-6821
S
Mittal
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003474:Curcumin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000517:prevention & control
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D003474:Curcumin